Press Releases
Council cracks down on illegal transport of waste (PR 910)
A van driver has received the borough's first on-the-spot fines for transporting waste without carrying a valid licence.
The driver was fined £600 by park rangers as part of Ealing Council's recent Partnership Taskforce Day in West Ealing.
Brent Lodge senior ranger Phil Belman spotted a white van being loaded with builders' waste from a shop premises in Uxbridge Road. The driver was not able to produce either a Waste Carriers Licence or any Waste Transfer Notes to prove that the waste was being carried and disposed of legally.
He was slapped with two fixed penalty notices (FPN), each for £300, for the offences. The driver must now produce evidence that he is a licensed carrier or pay the fines.
Fixed penalty notices for failure to produce a Waste Carriers Licence and failure to produce Waste Transfer Notes are designed to enforce legislation that targets 'cowboy' operators. Such operators, who flout the law, are responsible for much of the flytipping in Ealing resulting in environmental damage and clean-up costs that the council has to meet.
Councillor Will Brooks, cabinet member for environment and transport, said: "This should be a warning that the council is stepping up its enforcement action and won’t hesitate to fine drivers on-the-spot if they can’t prove they have a legitimate right to carry and transfer waste.
"These are serious offences and we won’t tolerate such abuses of the law or the environment. We will use our full powers to fine and prosecute, if necessary, anyone caught without the appropriate papers."
Phil Belman said: "Rangers are well aware of the environmental costs of flytipping in the borough and I hope that this sends a firm message to businesses to act within the law."
The Brent Lodge rangers were participating in the Partnership Taskforce Day on Tuesday 16 January, which focussed on the Walpole and Elthorne wards in West Ealing. Council officers, the police and partner agencies worked together to tackle a wide range of enforcement issues.
The partnership task force days support the council's priorities to ensure cleaner streets and build safer communities. The council’s third priority is providing value for money services.
Rangers from Brent Lodge have issued FPNs for a range of other offences in parks this month, including for dog fouling, litter and flyposting. A more serious offence of flytipping in the Brent River Park, which was investigated by the rangers, resulted in a builder from Hanwell being arrested by police in November 2006. The council's legal department is now considering the evidence for prosecution.
ENDS
Notes for Editors
Failure to pay a fixed penalty notice is likely to result in
court action by the council under the relevant legislation. The law
gives authorised council officers powers to require drivers of
vehicles carrying waste to give their name and address and to
produce proper documentation for the waste.
The legislation that covers these offences is:
Failure to produce a Waste Carriers Licence, S34
Environmental Protection Act 1990
Failure to produce Waste Transfer Notes, S5B Control of
Pollution Act 1989.
The driver has 14 days from the issuing of the FPNs to pay the
fines or to produce evidence that he is a licensed carrier.