SEPA was interesting to the general public for info (on 28 September) to assist with an investigation into potential criminality in North Lanarkshire in late September, at a location linked to waste automobiles.
Officers from SEPA, North Lanarkshire Council and Police Scotland have been gathering info on the vary of companies working within the space, the scale and scale of operations, the variety of automobiles current and the danger of hurt to the atmosphere.
The situation in query, which SEPA mentioned it was not figuring out resulting from its ongoing investigation, has expanded considerably with out the suitable environmental and planning permissions, and there are considerations round waste criminality.
The regulator has a devoted intelligence and enforcement perform supporting geographic groups in investigating waste crime. Calum McGregor, Unit Supervisor in SEPA’s Environmental Crime Staff, mentioned: “We’re warning criminals – your actions are firmly within the highlight and compliance with Scotland’s environmental legal guidelines is non-negotiable. In Scotland, companies dedicated to doing the appropriate factor by our surroundings will discover a regulator that helps innovation and excellence. For many who do the incorrect factor you’ll discover a regulator that gained’t hesitate to behave.
“We all know that unauthorised finish of life car (ELV) websites may be linked to different criminality, which is why days of motion akin to this are so vital to tackling waste criminality on a nationwide degree. Working with companions akin to Police Scotland and native authorities – in addition to Scotland’s Severe Organised Crime Process Pressure, the Joint Unit for Waste Crime, and cross border companies – signifies that SEPA could make it tougher for criminals to get a foot in respectable waste companies, and the place these websites have appeared it’s going to turn out to be simpler to require these accountable to scrub them up.
“I’d encourage anybody who thinks they might have details about waste crime in Scotland to get in contact with SEPA. Our officers can’t be in every single place, and the general public are sometimes our eyes and ears throughout the nation. Whereas today of motion was focused at end-of-life automobiles, please do share any considerations you might have about waste crime of any sort. Different suspicious exercise can embody approaches to bury waste on land, will increase in lorries shifting on and off websites (particularly at evening) in addition to sudden will increase in waste quantities, odours and flies.”
Enchantment for info
Members of the general public who consider they might have details about waste crime within the space, together with people or corporations shopping for scrap vehicles with out offering the suitable paperwork (akin to a Certificates of Destruction), dumping of tyres or uncommon exercise at websites are inspired to contact SEPA.
This may be carried out 24 hours a day, seven days per week, via SEPA’s Air pollution Hotline, both on-line at sepa.org.uk/report or by calling 0800 80 70 60. Studies may be made anonymously – however persons are inspired to depart contact particulars so extra info may be gathered if required.
Criminality round end-of-life automobiles
Yearly round two million new automobiles are registered within the UK and the same quantity are scrapped. This implies round two million tonnes of car waste every year – together with massive volumes of waste tyres.
Finish of life automobiles (ELVs) comprise a spread of potential contaminants akin to engine oil, coolant, brake and steering fluids, oily car components akin to engines, gearboxes and axles, and oil filters and batteries, which all pose a threat to the atmosphere if they don’t seem to be handled, recycled or disposed of correctly. Websites that take care of ELVs should maintain a Waste Administration Licence or exemption from SEPA, which is able to comprise quite a few situations or guidelines designed to make sure the atmosphere is protected. Waste automobiles have to be saved and handled with out inflicting hurt to the atmosphere and particular necessities, akin to impermeable surfaces with provision for spillage assortment and acceptable storage containers for components and fluids, have to be met.
The company estimates that there are presently over 100 unauthorised ELV websites throughout Scotland, starting from small scale breaking of automobiles for reselling components to industrial estates the place a number of unlicensed ELV operations are happening. Proof means that many could also be concerned in wider criminality and some could have hyperlinks to severe and organised crime teams.
