Ben Rooney of Hilperton pleaded guilty at Swindon Magistrates Court on 23 November 2021 to an offence under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and for transporting controlled waste without a waste carriers' licence. The £1,184 includes the fine, costs and victim surcharge.
Rooney was a self-employed plumber working on a property in Corsham at the time of the offence. While working on the property, he stated that he was approached by two unknown males in a transit tipper looking for scrap metal. Rooney stated that he gave them his commercial waste and scrap metal without checking if they were licenced, and he failed to obtain waste transfer notes from the unknown persons for the waste.
He was unable to provide Wiltshire Council with any information that could have identified the people who took the waste away and allegedly dumped it. A further investigation into Rooney showed that he transported waste without an appropriate waste carriers' licence.
Cllr Dr Mark McClelland, Cabinet Member for Cabinet Member for Transport and Waste at Wiltshire Council, said: "Business waste must be safely, legally, and responsibly disposed of, and anyone employing someone else to take their waste away is legally responsible for checking that they are fully licensed by the Environment Agency - and they must obtain and retain waste transfer notes if they are a business.
"The Environmental Protection Act 1990 imposes a duty of care on tradespeople to ensure that any waste they produce does not harm the environment and is disposed of lawfully at a commercial waste tip.
"I hope this case sends a clear message to all business not to cut corners when it comes to correctly disposing of your commercial waste, or you could end up with a large fine and a criminal record."
To prevent waste being fly-tipped, businesses must:
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