Who’s Responsible for Clearing Illegal Waste Dumps?
We’ve all seen the awful illegal waste dumps on TV, where companies dump millions of tons of illegal waste, that then fester and ruin the lives of local people.
Obviously it’s really on the part of the people who dumped it to clear it up. But they are not going to, as firstly they have not been found. And even if they were, they wouldn’t clear it up.
So we have a mad situation where the councils don’t clear it up. Why not?
The law works like this in England with litter. No matter who dumped it, if the litter is on council land, it has a responsibility to clear it up (paid for by your council tax). Report it at Fix My Street (these public reports are sent to local councils and tend to get fixed, if several people report the same issue).
But if the litter is on private land, councils can issue a Litter Abatement Order. This means that either the landowner is fined if he or she does not remove the litter (no matter how big the pile is). Or if they refuse, the council can then clean the litter itself, and bill the landowner.
It’s thought that there are now hundreds of illegal dump sites in England. These are not only illegal and cause stenches and health concerns, but are also fire hazards (tyres for instance are a fire hazard if dumped, which is why they should always be recycled).
What is Illegal Dumping?
Also called fly-tipping, it’s the dumping of liquid or solid commercial waste on public or private land, instead of taking it to the recycling centre, or paying companies to recycle it. Classified as environmental crime, you can report it (which includes illegal fishing) at Crimestoppers (anonymous).
It’s estimated that around 38 million tons of waste are illegally dumped annually, with penalties ranging from fines of £400 to up to 5 years in prison. Common items dumped range from everyday household items (mattresses, furniture, black bags of rubbish) to construction, demolition, commercial and toxic waste.
A Waste Dump (partly owned by Duchy of Lancaster)
A recent Channel 4 investigation expressed concern over one dump in Wigan. The landowner went bust, so the land automatically went to the Duchy of Lancaster, a vast estate owned by King Charles III.
When he inherited the land, the King said that profits would be used to help communities and sustainability. Yet so far has refused to pay to clean the waste up. Lawyers are now trying to give the land back to the council. So yes, you, the taxpayer would be responsible for clearing it up.
The site contains 25,000 tonnes of rubbish next to homes (who say it’s hell living next door due to the stench) including primary schools. One mother had rats in her roof, and has had to adopt one son (with health issues) out to relatives, who can’t return until the dump is cleared.
Due to feudal laws, the Duchy of Lancaster does have to do like anyone else.
But again considering King Charles stated that private profits (no inheritance or corporation tax is paid) would be used to help communities, a quick cheque could solve everything for local people, the environment and wildlife (which the king says he is so passionate about).
The estimated cost to clear the Wigan dump would be around £4.5 million, yet the Duchy of Lancaster income is around £27.4 million a year.
