Glasgow waste operator Cornelius Boyle was fined £550 on 30 June for consistently breaching the conditions of a Waste Management Licence which was held for a site at Drakemire Drive, Castlemilk.
Mr Boyle received a fine of £550 in relation to three charges which took place between 18 June 2012 and 25 July 2013 while the site was used as a waste transfer station.
The charges include exceeding the 800 tonne waste limit for the site, failing to remove waste from the site within the required timescales of the licence, and keeping waste in a manner likely to cause pollution of the environment or harm to human health.
Officers from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) became aware of the site on Drakemire Drive in July 2009, when it was discovered that DC Skips Limited were operating without a Waste Management Licence. A licence was granted in January 2010, however regular inspections of the site found there to be recurring issues with compliance.
Warning letters were issued which instructed Mr Boyle to comply with the conditions of the Waste Management Licence, including reducing the amount of waste on site and also storing waste no longer than the licence permitted. In addition to inspections, numerous complaints from the local community regarding odours, dust and potential pollution incidents at the site prompted a number of ad-hoc visits by SEPA officers.
On each occasion, the limits of waste contained on site and the overall condition of the facility continually failed to meet the standards required under a Waste Management Licence, therefore SEPA officers were left with no alternative but to submit a report to the Procurator Fiscal.
SEPA’s Reporting Officer, said:
“The operator could have taken simple measures to avoid the site becoming non–compliant however failed to do so. Such a clear lack of respect for the environment left SEPA with no option other than to pursue criminal prosecution.
“The legislation in place to monitor the waste industry is critically important to ensure that no lasting environmental damage is caused by waste activities.”
