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Press release
Fines for illegal waste site operators
Glenn Tamplin and Ricky Mann, Manns Waste Management Limited fined over £100,000 at Snaresbrook Crown Court on 30 September 2016.
Glenn Tamplin, Manns Waste Management Limited and Ricky Mann (Director of Manns Waste Management Limited) were fined over £100,000 when they appeared before Snaresbrook Crown Court on 30 September 2016 to be sentenced for their roles in the operation of an illegal waste facility.
Over 6,000 tonnes of controlled waste was illegally deposited in the grounds at Mr Tamplin’s private residence in Abridge, Essex in early 2014 by Manns Waste Management Limited. The residential premises did not have an environmental permit or an exemption for the waste to be deposited and no infrastructure was in place protecting the environment from pollution.
The waste was deposited on land next to the River Roding across an area roughly the size of a football pitch. It had caused the land to be raised by approximately 2 metres. Whilst conducting waste sampling at the location Environment Agency Officers discovered mixed household and commercial waste at various locations below the surface. Some of this waste had begun degrading causing odour and discolouration of the soil from leaching.
The area in which the waste was deposited is adjacent to the River Roding and is designated as an area liable to flood, an area designed to safely hold water in times of high water to prevent flooding. By dumping waste in this area it could have caused flood water to be diverted elsewhere.
Since the intervention of the Environment Agency the defendants arranged for the waste to be removed so that the environment would be protected from any potential harm. This was taken into consideration during the sentencing hearing.
After hearing the evidence His Honour Judge Hammerton concluded that the offending resulted in significant clean-up costs and the lack of the appropriate documentation significantly undermined the regulatory regime.
The Court found that Mr Tamplin had acted negligently to a high degree in committing the offences. He was fined a total of £45,000 and ordered to pay £30,789 towards the cost of the investigation and prosecution. The Judge set a period of 9 months imprisonment in default if the fine is not paid within 3 months.
Manns Waste Management Limited were found to have acted deliberately in their involvement in the offending and were fined a total of £50,000. The Company was also ordered to pay £18,648 towards the cost of the investigation and prosecution.
Whilst sentencing the Company the judge took into consideration additional offences relating to breaches of the permit held by Manns Waste Management Limited for the operation of a waste transfer station on Chequers Lane in Dagenham.
Ricky Mann was found to have acted negligently as a Director of Manns Waste Management Limited. He was fined a total of £8,000 and ordered to pay £18,648 towards the costs of the investigation and prosecution. The judge set a period of 2 months imprisonment in default if the fine is not paid within 9 months.
Emma Viner, Enforcement Team Leader, for the Environment Agency said:
The operation of illegal waste sites pose significant risk to our environment, local communities and undermines legitimate business. The Environment Agency will not hesitate to take tough enforcement action where serious breaches of environmental legislation are identified.
The sentences in this case reflect the seriousness with which the Environment Agency and the courts view this type of criminal offending and will hopefully act as a deterrent to others.