The 45-year-old director of a Scunthorpe waste management business has been handed a six-month prison sentence over the illegal storage of waste at a site in 2014 following an Environment Agency prosecution.
Nessa Anne Thompson, of Thompson Waste Recycling Ltd was sentenced at Hull Crown Court last week (6 April) over two charges relating to the storage of waste at the site at Winterton Road, having pleaded guilty to both charges.
Environment Agency officers investigated the site at Winterton Road in 2014
Ms Thompson from Scotter Road, Scunthorpe was sentenced to a total of six months in custody. She was also disqualified from being a director for a period of seven years.
The charges brought by the Agency suggested that the defendant had breached section 33(1)(c) and section 157(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, regarding the storage of controlled waste in a manner likely to cause pollution to the environment.
Charges
Another charge was brought under Regulation 12(1)(a) and Regulation 41(1) of the Environmental Permitting (England & Wales) Regulations 2010 regarding the operation of a facility without a permit.
According to the Environment Agency, a permit had been held for the site under a previous company operating at the location – Thompson Waste Management. However, this company went into administration in early 2014 and was later liquidated, and at this point the permit was formally disclaimed.
The Agency added that the site at Winterton Road continued to be used and waste was stored in large quantities, and in such a manner that it presented a human health and fire risk.
A fire broke out at the site on 6 May 2014, and firefighters attending the scene were advised not to re-use the firewater due to the risk of waterborne diseases linked to the number of rats on site, according to the Agency.
‘Risk’
Speaking after the case, an Environment Agency officer involved with the investigation said: “This site posed a risk to property, the local environment, and people’s health because our advice was ignored.
“This prosecution demonstrates that we take cases such as this very seriously and will not hesitate to prosecute if necessary, to protect the environment and local communities.”
In mitigation, the court heard that the defendant had pleaded guilty to both offences, for which she was given credit. It also heard that her partner was in poor health and that they were both suffering from significant financial hardship.
Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire
In passing sentence, the judge said there had been a ‘deliberate flouting’ of environmental regulations by the defendant.
He commented that as the Technically Competent Manager for the site, she would have been well aware that there was no permit in place at the site. He found that there had been attempts to conceal the illegal activity.
The judge noted that Ms Thompson has previous convictions for breaches of environmental legislation, for which she was under investigation at the time the current offences were committed. He said that this amounted to a significant aggravating feature.
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Source: letsrecycle.com Waste Managment
