Arrests Carried Out in Relation to Enormous Illegal Rubbish Dump

Two individuals have been taken into custody as part of an inquiry into the illegal deposit of many thousands of tons of waste in a rural field in Oxfordshire, England.

Authorities indicated that a 69-year-old was detained at a dwelling in Andover, Hampshire, while a man in his fifties was taken into custody in Slough in relation with the massive pile of rubbish tipped near Kidlington.

These apprehensions come after a previous revelation which exposed the presence of over 500 illegal sites in England, including at a minimum of 11 so-called "large-scale sites" greater than 20,000 metric tons.

A official for the regulatory authorities commented that the apprehensions were for ecological and financial violations and were a "vital step" in continuing probes. Both men have been released on pre-trial release.

Scale of the Situation

The dump in near Kidlington, positioned between the River Cherwell and the A34, is thought to contain about 21,000 tons of waste in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) high.

This heap of waste is composed of what seems to be processed domestic rubbish, chopped up plastic items, polystyrene, automobile tires and assorted household items.

It represents just one example of 517 illegal sites throughout England, at a minimum of 11 of which contain over 20,000 tons of waste. These include a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire county and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne dump in the county of Kent.

The overall number of such larger dumps is probably to be larger, as the environmental body has previously acknowledged it does not possess records on weight for all unauthorized site.

A large proportion of these sites are in countryside locations, typically hidden, and on land that should be farm property.

Criminal Enterprise

Police state numerous are managed by organized crime groups, who are making profit by charging much less than legitimate operators to take and landfill waste.

Businesses have to pay gate fees to use lawful landfill sites, depending on the quantity and nature of material they are trying to get rid of, and a disposal levy is also applied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Public Frustration

Initial work to remove the Kidlington area dump commenced in recent weeks following concerns over the risk of combustion and the impact that would have on the adjacent major road.

A contracted waste removal firm has been awarded the task to handle the site over the coming 12 months at a price of £9.6m.

An enforcement official for the national environmental crime team commented that the body would be seeking to recover the clean-up expenses under proceeds of crime laws from any party ultimately convicted at the termination of its active case.

She further stated that this week's apprehensions would help "move the investigation forward" and enable authorities to "investigate more lines of inquiry to ascertain in detail what occurred and who was a party to it".

"The unlawful tip at this location was an atrocious and deliberate affront on our ecology and the authorities empathize with the public's outrage at this terrible offence," she said.

A senior minister welcomed the actions, commenting: "The unauthorized tipping of rubbish at this location is utterly appalling and has caused substantial detriment to the natural world and distress to the surrounding population.

"The government is dedicated to eliminating this type of crime throughout the country, by boosting resources to tackle illegal dumping, hiring more personnel and introducing more severe controls and sanctions for those who flout the regulations."

The apprehensions were carried out on a recent Thursday by officers from a dedicated crime unit and come after an previous arrest of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area region in the autumn. He was set free subject to more inquiries.