A Dumfries and Galloway vehicle dismantler pled guilty to keeping and treating scrap motor vehicles without a Waste management Licence and was fined £500 at Dumfries Sheriff Court on 7th December 2001. The offence took place at Robbie What, Carrutherstown, Dumfries & Galloway. The prosecution was the result of a report submitted to the Procurator Fiscal by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).

The premises had been registered as being exempt and not requiring a Waste Management Licence, under paragraph 45, Schedule 3, of the Waste Management Licence Regulations 1994. An exemption still requires a fee and an annual charge to be made to SEPA. Registered exempted sites are also required to comply with conditions designed to protect the environment, such as ensuring that the ground is not permeable*, that waste types are separated and securely contained. However, the merchant was found not to be complying with the conditions of the exemption by SEPA and enforcement action was started.

SEPA Environmental Protection Officer, Colin Clark said: "SEPA is very pleased with the outcome of this case which is the first successful prosecution for waste management offences in Dumfries & Galloway. The sentence imposed should make it clear that waste management legislation requires to be complied with at all times and hopefully other operators in the region's waste management sector will take note. If not, then SEPA will not hesitate to submit further reports to the Procurator Fiscal".

ENDS

Notes

• The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) was established under the Environment Act 1995.
  
• Its main duty is to protect the environment by controlling pollution to land, air and water in Scotland.
  

* Permeable - able to absorb liquid substances