Apprehensions Made in Relation to Enormous Illegal Waste Site

Two men have been arrested as a component of an inquiry into the dumping of several thousand of metric tons of waste in a open field in Oxfordshire.

Law enforcement indicated that a 69-year-old was arrested at a dwelling in the town of Andover, while a man in his fifties was detained in Slough, Berkshire in association with the enormous mound of garbage tipped near Kidlington.

These arrests come after a prior revelation which revealed the existence of more than 500 illegal dumps across England, including at least 11 so-called "super sites" larger than 20,000 tonnes.

A official for the regulatory authorities said that the apprehensions were for environment-related and proceeds of crime violations and represented a "key step" in ongoing investigations. The two individuals have been set free on pre-trial release.

Magnitude of the Problem

The dump in Kidlington, located between the river Cherwell and the A34 highway, is thought to contain about 21,000 tons of waste in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) in height.

This heap of garbage is composed of what looks to be sorted domestic refuse, fragmented plastic materials, expanded polystyrene, automobile tires and other everyday items.

It represents just one of 517 unauthorized sites in the country, at a minimum of 11 of which hold over 20,000 tons of waste. Such sites encompass a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The total figure of such larger locations is expected to be larger, as the environment body has earlier indicated it does not hold information on volume for each illegal tip.

The majority sites are in agricultural locations, typically out of sight, and on land that should be farm land.

Organised Activity

Authorities report a significant number are run by organised crime gangs, who are generating money by asking for far less than lawful companies to accept and dispose of waste.

Businesses have to incur site fees to use legitimate waste facilities, contingent on the quantity and nature of refuse they are trying to get rid of, and a disposal levy is also levied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Community Frustration

Preparatory work to clean up the affected dump commenced recently amid concerns over the threat of combustion and the consequences that would have on the nearby major road.

A commercial waste clearance company has been given the contract to remediate the site over the coming 12 months at a expense of £9.6m.

An investigations officer for the country's regulatory team commented that the agency would be aiming to recover the clean-up costs under asset recovery acts from any individual found guilty at the termination of its current inquiry.

She added that these detentions would help "push the investigation forward" and permit the agency to "pursue more leads to ascertain exactly what happened and who was implicated".

"The unauthorized dump at Kidlington was an shocking and deliberate affront on our environment and the authorities empathize with the community's outrage at this egregious offence," she said.

A government representative welcomed the detentions, stating: "This unauthorized dumping of waste at the site is utterly appalling and has resulted in significant damage to the environment and distress to the surrounding residents.

"Our government is dedicated to stamping out this type of crime in the UK, by boosting resources to combat environmental crime, employing more officers and implementing tougher checks and fines for those who flout the regulations."

The arrests were made on a recent Thursday by officers from a specialist organised crime unit and are in addition to an previous apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area region in last November. He was released awaiting more investigations.