The former director of a Manchester waste company was handed a 15-month prison sentence and disqualified from running a company for six years after pleading guilty to illegally operating three waste sites in the North West.
Barry Kilroe, who ran J25 Recycling Ltd, Recovered Fuels Shipping Ltd and Asset and Land Group Ltd was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court on Friday (31 March) after having pleaded guilty to ten charges relating to the unlawful operation of the sites in Stockport, Salford and Warrington Docks.
A fire broke out at the J25 Recycling facility in Stockport in August 2013. (Picture: Environment Agency).
All three companies, which processed waste for the production of refuse derived fuel, have ceased operating.
Also sentenced at the hearing on Friday were the companies’ transport manager and company director, Jane Williams, who was fined a total of £500 and Richard James Davies, financial director, who was given a conditional discharge for 12 months.
Charges
Ms Williams pleaded guilty to two charges; one relating to the Salford site for storing waste in excess of its 10,000 tonne capacity, the second charge was for operating the Warrington site without an environmental permit.
Mr Davies pleaded guilty to a charge relating to the Stockport site where he failed to provide and implement an adequate environmental management system.
The Environment Agency brought the case against the three directors after a lengthy investigation, which it is claimed identified the unlawful operation and mismanagement of the three sites.
Permits
According to the Agency excessive amounts of waste were imported on to the sites, leading to breaches of the site’s environmental permits.
The defendants then failed to comply with Enforcement and Suspension Notices to bring the sites back into line with their permitting requirements, the Agency claimed.
A major fire broke out in August 2013 at the J25 Recycling Ltd site in Stockport (see letsrecycle.com story) as well a further fire at the Recovered Fuels Shipping site in Salford which erupted in March 2014 (see letsrecycle.com story). The fires caused delays on local transport networks, the Agency said, as well as affecting residents and businesses close to both sites.
Charges were also brought over the running of a site at Warrington Dock. (Picture: Environment Agency).
Lee Rawlinson, the Environment Agency’s area director for Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire, said: “This is one of the biggest cases the Environment Agency has prosecuted, we have been committed to do so because of the severity of the offence and cost and impact on the environment, communities and business. It has resulted in significant financial impacts to legitimate businesses.
“The Environment Agency would like to thank partners including Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) and United Utilities as the impact would have been even greater had it not been for their tireless effort and cooperation to get the fires under control. We would also like to thank Excalon, Salford who assisted GMFRS at Recovered Fuels Shipping Ltd. The Environment Agency has also been offering advice and support to the landowner at Warrington Docks.”
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Source: letsrecycle.com Waste Managment
