Apprehensions Made in Relation to Massive Illegal Rubbish Dump

A pair of individuals have been taken into custody as part of an probe into the dumping of many thousands of tonnes of rubbish in a open field in Oxfordshire, England.

Authorities stated that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a residence in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in Slough, Berkshire in association with the huge pile of waste deposited near the area of Kidlington.

These detentions follow a previous investigation which revealed the existence of over 500 unlawful sites across England, featuring at a minimum of 11 so-called "super sites" greater than 20,000 tonnes.

A representative for the regulatory authorities commented that the arrests were for environment-related and proceeds of crime crimes and were a "crucial step" in continuing investigations. The two individuals have been released on conditional release.

Size of the Problem

The tipping ground in Kidlington, located between the Cherwell River and the A34 highway, is believed to hold about 21,000 tonnes of waste in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) tall.

This heap of rubbish is composed of what appears to be treated domestic refuse, fragmented plastic materials, Styrofoam, tires and assorted everyday articles.

It represents just one example of 517 unlawful sites throughout England, at a minimum of 11 of which are estimated to hold over 20,000 tonnes of garbage. They encompass a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The total figure of such major dumps is likely to be greater, as the environment agency has earlier acknowledged it does not possess records on volume for each unauthorized tip.

A large proportion of sites are in agricultural areas, typically concealed, and on land that is intended to be arable land.

Criminal Operations

Authorities say a significant number are run by criminal organizations, who are earning profit by asking for significantly less than lawful firms to accept and landfill garbage.

Firms have to pay gate fees to use legitimate disposal sites, depending on the volume and category of material they are trying to dispose of, and landfill tax is also applied at just over £126 per tonne.

Public Frustration

Preparation operations to clean up the affected site commenced recently amid fears over the risk of combustion and the effect that would have on the nearby A-road.

A commercial clean-up contractor has been awarded the contract to remediate the site over the next 12 months period at a cost of £9.6m.

An enforcement officer for the country's environmental crime unit commented that the body would be seeking to recover the clean-up expenses under proceeds of crime legislation from anyone ultimately convicted at the conclusion of its active case.

She added that this week's apprehensions would help "move the probe forward" and allow officials to "follow more leads to ascertain exactly what happened and who was implicated".

"The illegal dump at this location was an appalling and intentional attack on our environment and we share the local outrage at this egregious crime," she remarked.

A cabinet representative supported the detentions, adding: "This illegal deposit of rubbish at this location is appalling and has caused significant harm to the natural world and upset to the nearby community.

"Our administration is dedicated to eliminating this type of illegal activity across the country, by increasing resources to address waste crime, hiring more personnel and introducing tougher controls and sanctions for those who break the rules."

The detentions were made on the specified day by officers from a specialist organised crime squad and come after an earlier apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area area in November. He was set free awaiting further investigations.