Farmer fined for Caithness waste mound
9 June 2010
A Caithness farmer was been fined £2,800, to be paid within 18
months, at Wick Sheriff Court for offences involving a large amount
of waste sub soil deposited at a farm near Wick. Although not part
of the sentence Sheriff Abercrombie asked Mr Gunn to liaise with
SEPA in respect of remediation to be carried out at the site to
smooth out the edges of the mound.
Mr William Gunn, of Quoys of Reiss Farm, was fined yesterday (8
June) after pleading guilty to knowingly permitting excavation
waste comprising soil and stones to be deposited at his farm. The
matter was reported to the Procurator Fiscal at Wick by SEPA.
SEPA officers were informed by a member of the public in
November 2005 of a large pile of waste on land at Quoys of
Reiss. On investigating it was found that a large area had
been covered in a mound of waste earth, mainly subsoil though there
was some plastic, wood and metal material mixed with the soil,
which was approximately two to four metres above the level of the
surrounding ground.
An exemption under the Waste Management Licensing Regulations
was registered for the site to use soil for agricultural or
ecological improvement, but the finished deposit actually comprised
of a large bare mound of infertile subsoil without any topsoil
cover for grass or other vegetation to grow on. The exemption also
stated that no deposited materials should exceed the height of the
adjoining ground contiguous with the agreed boundaries of the site,
whereas the finished height of the waste was approximately two
metres above ground level. The Regulations only allow a maximum
depth of two metres, and it is estimated that some 20,000 Tonnes of
waste was deposited illegally.
In March 2009 it was noted that wastes were still present on the
site. In April 2009 SEPA officers attended the site and to found
that the mound of waste, which was now overgrown with weeds, was
still quite noticeable from the main A99 road. It appeared
that the waste observed in November 2005 was still in situ.
David Robinson, SEPA's investigating officer, said:
"Although there has been no apparent pollution caused in this
case, there is an environmental impact associated with the height
of the mound. The surrounding land is predominately flat and the
mound appears incongruous in this context, which is detrimental to
the amenity for local residents and visitors. The mound of waste is
adjacent to the main Wick to John O'Groat's road, in a flat
landscape visible by passing motorists on what is a main tourist
route. If developers, building contractors or waste disposal
contractors got the idea that it was easy to dispose of wastes in
this way such events would be more common, and the impact of the
waste deposits considerable."
Calum MacDonald, SEPA's Director of Operations, said:
"We want to help people avoid causing pollution and advice on
how to do that is easily available from our staff, offices and
website www.sepa.org.uk. The NetRegs website, www.netregs.gov.uk,
also offers clear guidance on environmental rules and regulations.
However, where pollution is significant or persistent, or is as a
result of wilful or negligent actions, SEPA will not hesitate to
use its enforcement powers to protect the environment for the
benefit of all of Scotland's citizens.
"Importantly, 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 editors
The exact charge Mr William Gunn pled guilty to <:was:
Between 1 September 2005 and 21 November 2005 in or on land at
Quoys of Reiss, by Wick you WILLIAM GUNN did knowingly permit to be
deposited controlled waste, namely excavation wastes which
consisted mainly of subsoil, on or in said land without the
authority of a waste management licence; CONTRARY to the
Environmental Protection Act 1990, Section 33(1a)(a) as amended