A waste haulage business in South Oxfordshire has been fined £25,000 on three charges of illegally depositing controlled waste. Paul Elliott Butler, trading as Butler & Proctor, pleaded guilty at Oxford Magistrates' Court to the charges, brought by the Environment Agency under the 1990 Environmental Protection Act.
The court heard that
the waste was found at a yard in Checkendon which did not have an environmental permit of exemption in force. When Environment Agency offices visited in November 2006 they found large piles of inert waste and a container truck skip full of plastic waste. In January 2007, officers visited again and found bigger piles of waste, as well as more controlled waste including metal, plastic, loft insulation and timber.
Environment officer Ben Govan said: "Mr Butler was clearly not taking his waste management responsibilities seriously. By operating outside the law, Butler & Proctor put the environment at considerable risk, and also sought to gain a competitive advantage over legitimate waste businesses in the area." In addition to the £25,000 fine, Butler was ordered to pay £5,000 compensation to the Environment Agency and £2,500 in costs.
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