South Wales Wood Recycling (SWWR) has been fined £15,000 for breaches of an environmental permit relating to fire prevention plans and the disposal of fire-affected wood, in an investigation brought by Natural Resources Wales (NRW).
Solicitors acting on behalf of the wood recycling company however, noted that the judge was critical of the investigation and in particular the decision to charge the company’s director.
The fire lasted five days in September 2016. Picture courtesy of South Wales Fire and Rescue Service
Following a week-long trial at Cardiff Crown Court earlier this month, the director of the company, Dennis Burke, was acquitted of all charges but the firm was fined £7,500 for failure to comply with the requirements and environmental permit condition. It was also fined a further £7,500 for knowingly causing the operation of a regulated facility without authority, NRW reported.
The company was ordered to pay £10,000 towards the costs and £450 for “deficient waste transfer notes”. This meant three of the six charges brought by NRW led to a fine.
SWWR was found to have failed to comply with the provisions of their Fire Prevention Plan in that they failed to ensure that the waste stacks at their site at Locks Yard, Heol Y Cyw, Bridgend were sufficiently separated, NRW explained.
In addition, the company “failed to ensure that the drainage lines at the site were sealed to prevent run off in the event of an incident at the site”, according to a statement by NRW.
Response
A solicitor at Blackfords LLP, which represented SWWR, added: “Our client is pleased that many of the charges against them were dismissed following a lengthy hearing at Cardiff Crown Court.
“While they accept the guilty verdict and fines handed down by the court, they will now work tirelessly to ensure they do not fall foul of these again. They are pleased that they can now work to restore the business’s reputation and would like to thank all those who supported them throughout these proceedings.”
The recent court action comes in the wake of the fire in 2016, which led to South Wales Wood Recycling being fined £16,000 in 2016 for the wood chip fire, which was at Alexandra Docks, on a charge of keeping controlled waste in a manner likely to cause pollution or harm to human health (see letsrecycle.com story).
Three of the six charges brought by NRW were successful
Half of the £15,000 last week was in relation to the disposal of the wood that was damaged in that fire. On the 14th September 2017, NRW say it received a report indicating that SWWR had deposited waste on land known as Cefn Parc Motorcross track in Bridgend without a permit.
The other half was for insufficient fire breaks observed after the Bridgend fire – with the judge deeming the company to have been “reckless”.
NRW
Commenting after this month’s judgment, Steve Morgan, head of South East Wales operations for Natural Resources Wales, said: “We are concerned about the impact that poorly managed sites can have on people, the environment and the economy, including the reputation of the waste sector and legitimate business. The regulations in place for the safe management and storage of waste are there to protect both people and the environment. When those laws are ignored, the consequences can be very serious indeed.”
Mr Morgan added: “We hope the outcome of the case will send out a positive message in the waste industry that NRW will not tolerate those who seek to profit by breaking the law, harming local communities or damaging the environment.”
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Source: letsrecycle.com Waste Managment
