A Maesteg man has pleaded guilty to failing to ensure his household waste was disposed of by an authorised person.The waste was flytipped on land near Afan Argoed in Port Talbot.
Paul Stanley Greeves from Hartshorn Terrace in Caerau appeared before Judge Richard Williams at Neath Magistrates Court charged under S34(2A) of the Environmental Protection Act.
He must now pay a fine of £135 and costs amounting to £300. He also has to pay a £15 victim surcharge.
The court heard that in June last year, Greeves wanted to dispose of household waste consisting of blue tarpaulin, plastic mesh, two wooden pallets, builders rubble and scaffolding parts. The waste came from the construction of a garage in the garden of his property.
The District Judge was told that Greeves admitted knowing the cost of hiring a skip would be £120, so when he found two unknown persons who would clear the waste for him for £50, he took them up.
Prosecuting for Neath Port Talbot Council, Solicitor Mike Shaw told the court that when interviewed by the waste enforcement officer, Greeves said he believed he was shown a waste carrier’s licence but he did not check with the Environment Agency if the licence was valid.
The flytippers have never been traced by the Council as Mr Greeves was unable to give their identities or vehicle registration number or the telephone number he had originally phoned them on.
Passing sentence the District Judge said “People were well aware of flytipping and that at half the price of skip, he must have had his suspicions.
“The waste was cleared at the public expense and it also took the local authority’s time to investigate. Flytipping represented a visual nuisance, attracted more flytipping and showed contempt for other people. Put at its kindest, he had closed his eyes to what was likely to happen to his waste.”
The Householder’s Duty of Care applies to any householder who uses another person to get rid of waste on their behalf. They must ensure that the person is authorised to do so by simply asking to see their waste carrier’s licence and checking it with the Environment Agency on 0870 8506 506 or by visiting www.environment-agency.gov.uk/epr
Enforcement Supervisor Leighton Case said householders should beware of unlicensed waste removers. “If the price quoted is too good to be true it usually means that it’s being dumped illegally.
“The cheapest quote could land you in court”
Council Leader Ali Thomas said the dumping of waste will not be tolerated in Neath Port Talbot.
“The Council has a zero tolerance policy and cleaning up dumped waste costs the council taxpayer hundreds of thousands of pounds each year,” he said.
“It can have a detrimental effect on the environment and the quality of lives of residents.
“I am pleased to see the positive outcomes from court and I hope the message comes across that people must be responsible for the secure disposal of their rubbish.”
