Court threat over rubbish mountain at Dudley site
A waste management company faces court action in the wake of failed attempts by an environment watchdog to get thousands of tons of rubbish moved from a site in Dudley.
A pile of the waste, including tyres, plastic and other industrial materials, towers from an yard formerly operated by Rowanoak Waste at an industrial estate in Shaw Road.
Despite the firm being told last year to stop operating at the site and to clear up the waste, 2,000 tonnes of rubbish are still there. It has caused frustration to nearby business owners and Dudley North MP Ian Austin, who even raised the matter in Parliament.
Today, the Environment Agency has accepted its previous orders for site clearance have failed.
Working alongside police, Dudley Council and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, it is now pursuing court action against Rowanoak Waste.
Steve Rogers, from the Environment Agency, said: “The Environment Agency shut down Rowanoak waste site in March 2016 and is taking strong enforcement action against those who deposited and have failed to remove the waste. We understand the concerns of the residents and we’re working with the landowners to clear the site so that it does not fall to the taxpayer.
“Although the landowner partially cleared the site in June, we have since continued to apply pressure for more waste to be removed and positive progress is being made working with a range of regulatory partners – Dudley Metropolitan Council, West Midlands Police, West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service and HMRC – to ensure we are collectively using every power, including court action, to clear this site.”
The case is set to go before the court system in the next few weeks, but work will still continue on the ground by the Environment Agency to remove the waste. It is working with the permit holder and landowner to ‘secure the safe and legal removal of waste at the site, and will continue to do so until the site is clear’.
It is believed around 275 tons of waste have been removed since June, but in recent weeks no more has been taken away. When Mr Austin raised the matter in Parliament in July, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Therese Coffey said the matter was not being ignored.
Mr Rogers added: “We take enforcement action against anyone operating outside their permit or operating illegally and are determined to make life hard for criminals.”
"You can report suspected waste crime to the Environment Agency incident hotline 0800 807060 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
