The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) have been members of a national forum set up to combat flytipping. Flytipping is a crime that can pose a serious threat to the environment and local communities. The forum looked at the most effective ways of avoiding, dealing with and reporting incidents of flytipping.

The forum, set up by the Environment Agency a year ago, includes: SEPA, The Environment Agency, Country Landowners Association, National Farmers’ Union, Local Government Association, Federation of Small Businesses, Tidy Britain Group, National Trust, Environmental Services Association, Railtrack and British Waterways.

SEPA has contributed to the guidance pack being published today by the Environment Agency, which aims to help various sectors of society deal with unlawful dumping of waste.

SEPA’s participation in the development of the guidance ensured that Scottish interests are covered and that the principles set out in the guidance are also applicable.

Steve Lee, the Environment Agency’s Head of Waste Regulation and Chairman of the forum, said:

"We’re already making life tough for flytippers - now we plan to make it tougher. The very fact so many bodies have looked for practical and effective ways to work together on this should make clear our intent."

Donald Macfarlane, Head of Waste Policy for SEPA, agrees:

"At the very least, illegal dumping is a blight on our environment and an unnecessary cash burden on taxpayers or landowners. At the very worst, it can cause long-lasting damage to the environment and put human health at risk. Many local authorities are actively working to raise the profile of this issue and highlight the services they offer which make flytipping unnecessary."

Current Initiatives in Scotland include:

• Localised crackdowns in flytipping blackspots, often in co-operation with police, local authorities local businesses or residents
• Trial use of hidden camera’s to capture flytippers on tape.

Copies of the guidance are available from SEPA Public Relations on 01786 457700

Anyone wishing to report a flytipping incident which they are actually witnessing or which is clearly posing a pollution threat should call the 24 hour freephone pollution hotline number of SEPA, 0800 807060.

Notes

It is hoped that raising the profile of the flytipping issue will encourage the public to help:

• They can play a critical role when they witness flytipping, by recording vital details such as vehicle registration numbers and descriptions of the offenders and reporting them immediately to the authorities.

Equally businesses have a key role to play:

• They should be clearly aware of their legal obligation when having waste removed from their premises. They have a duty to ensure their waste is being properly disposed of.
• They should be aware of what course of action to take if they are victims of flytipping.
• There is a wide range of information an guidance available to help them minimise the waste they produce.
  

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