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Airdrie landowner fined for refusal to remove waste

02 November 2009

EXT01 – D01

Keeping waste on two sites near Lawhope Mill Road, Chapelhall has resulted in a £1,600 fine for a landowner at Airdrie Sheriff Court today (30 October 2009).

Elizabeth Lees pled guilty to keeping controlled waste, including soils and sub-soils, brick, rubble, stone, wood, plastic, metals, glass, paper, cardboard, gas bottles and waste motor vehicles in or on land without a waste management licence. The matter was investigated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and reported to the Procurator Fiscal.

In July 2007 SEPA received a complaint that the campsite at Lawhope Mill Road was being used as a dumping ground by various companies. In the following months officers conducted site inspections and tried to engage in discussions with the owner about the activity required to bring the site in line with waste regulations.

When SEPA officers re-visited the site in December, they found that although the vast majority of wastes were no longer visible, waste materials appeared to have been levelled and buried under a mixture of soil, stone and rubble.  An area to the rear of the site showed evidence of burning and an inspection of the perimeter of the site showed that the level of the land had been raised from its natural level forming an embankment one to two metres high.  It appeared that some waste has been burned and the majority had been buried. In another area, several scrap vehicles were still present. 

John McKechnie, SEPA’s reporting officer, said:

“SEPA officers have had contact with Elizabeth Lees and she should have been fully aware that she was contravening waste legislation. Despite this the waste remained on site.”

SEPA’s Colin Bayes, Director of Environmental Protection and Improvement said

"We want to help people avoid pollution and advice on how to do that is easily available from our staff, offices and www.sepa.org.uk. The NetRegs website, www.netregs.gov.uk , also offers clear guidance on environmental rules and regulations.”

“However, if a pollution incident occurs, we urge anyone to let us know straight away by calling our 24 hour pollution report line, 0800 80 70 60, giving as many details as possible so effective action can be taken."

Ends

Notes to the editor

The exact charge Elizabeth Lees pled guilty to was:

• Between 23 July 2007 and 12 December 2007 at the land to the north of Lawhope Mill Road, Chapelhall, occupied by you on or around national grid references ns 78696319 and ns 78736311 you did keep controlled waste, namely waste soils and sub-soils, waste metals, waste brick, waste rubble, waste stone, waste wood, waste plastic, waste glass, waste paper, waste cardboard, waste gas bottles, waste motor vehicles in or on said land otherwise than in accordance with a waste management licence in that you did keep said wastes on said land when no waste management licence was in force authorising such keeping; CONTRARY to the Environment Protection Act 1990, section 33(1)(b)