Apprehensions Executed in Link to Enormous Illegal Landfill

A pair of individuals have been detained as a component of an inquiry into the illegal deposit of many thousands of tons of waste in a open field in Oxfordshire.

Law enforcement reported that a man in his late sixties was arrested at a dwelling in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was detained in the town of Slough in association with the enormous heap of waste deposited near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These arrests occur a week after a previous report which uncovered the existence of over 500 illegal sites in England, including at minimum 11 so-called "major sites" bigger than 20,000 tons.

A spokeswoman for the environment body commented that the apprehensions were for environment-related and financial violations and constituted a "key step" in continuing investigations. The apprehended men have been let go on bail.

Size of the Situation

The tipping ground in Kidlington, positioned between the river Cherwell and the A34 highway, is believed to contain about 21,000 metric tons of rubbish in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) tall.

This pile of garbage is consists of what appears to be treated domestic refuse, shredded plastic items, expanded polystyrene, tires and various everyday objects.

It represents just one example of 517 unauthorized tips in England, at least 11 of which contain more than 20,000 tonnes of waste. Such sites feature a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne dump in the county of Kent.

The total figure of such bigger dumps is expected to be higher, as the regulatory body has previously indicated it does not maintain data on weight for all unlawful site.

Most such locations are in countryside locations, typically hidden, and on land that is intended to be agricultural ground.

Organised Operations

Police report numerous are run by organised crime gangs, who are earning money by asking for much less than lawful operators to receive and dispose of waste.

Firms have to be liable for site fees to use legitimate waste facilities, depending on the volume and category of refuse they are trying to dispose of, and a waste tax is also charged at just over £126 per ton.

Community Frustration

Preparation efforts to clean up the affected site began recently due to worries over the risk of blaze and the effect that would have on the adjacent major road.

A private waste clearance contractor has been given the task to remediate the location over the next 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An enforcement officer for the government environmental crime unit commented that the agency would be seeking to recoup the clearance expenses under asset recovery legislation from anyone found guilty at the conclusion of its active investigation.

She added that these apprehensions would help "move the inquiry forward" and allow the agency to "pursue more avenues to determine in detail what transpired and who was implicated".

"The unauthorized dump at Kidlington was an atrocious and deliberate assault on our ecology and officials share the local outrage at this terrible crime," she said.

A government representative welcomed the arrests, adding: "This unlawful tipping of waste at this location is utterly appalling and has resulted in substantial detriment to the environment and upset to the local residents.

"Our authorities is committed to eliminating this kind of crime across the nation, by augmenting funds to combat illegal dumping, employing more personnel and introducing tougher checks and penalties for those who violate the regulations."

The detentions were executed on a recent Thursday by personnel from a dedicated organised crime squad and are in addition to an earlier arrest of a 39-year-old from the Guildford region in last November. He was released awaiting further inquiries.