Company fined for pollution breach

2:35pm Monday 28th May 2007

A WASTE disposal firm has been fined £15,000 for failing to properly treat asbestos waste.

Hills Minerals And Waste was fined for a serious breach of its pollution prevention and control permit.

The firm was prosecuted at Swindon Magistrates' Court for offences committed in July and August 2005.

They took place at its Chapel Farm asbestos-handling site near Blunsdon.

On July 29 the Environment Agency conducted a routine site inspection that revealed a breach of the PPC permit.

Asbestos material was not being properly covered.

Environment Agency officers spoke to the assistant site manager about the breach and were assured that site operators would operate in accordance with the permit.

But a second inspection on August 11 revealed two lorries were tipping waste containing asbestos into a storage cell at the same time.

One of the site diggers was also seen driving over the deposited pile of asbestos before it had been covered with suitable inert waste.

This caused clouds of dust containing asbestos to billow into the atmosphere.

It was these serious breaches that led to the Environment Agency prosecution.

Joanna Moakes, the investigating officer for the Environment Agency, said: "A PPC permit requires the holder to store and dispose of waste in a responsible manner, and to minimise the risk of harm to the environment and human health.

"On this occasion this was clearly not done and we are pleased the court has recognised the seriousness of ignoring these requirements with this fines."

Since the incidents were noticed, Hills Waste Solutions, as the company is now known, has invested £125,000 in a new plant for the site and a further £125,000 to improve operations and re-train staff.

Inhalation of asbestos fibres can cause serious health problems and there is no safe level of exposure.

Very few permits are granted each year, and the Environment Agency carries out monitoring checks on all permitted sites.

Hills obtained a permit from the Environment Agency in 2005, which laid down several conditions.

It said that all asbestos waste dealt with would arrive in enclosed containers, would be carefully unloaded, and immediately covered with a suitable amount of inert material.

A further condition was imposed that only one vehicle could tip within the dumping area at any one time.

The company was also ordered to pay £2,704.69 in costs to the Environment Agency.