A Llandysul man has been prosecuted for failing to fill in the appropriate documentation for the waste he was carrying.
William Edward John Williams, aged 46, of Penfoel, Rhydlewis, Llandysul, pleaded guilty by post to an offence under Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 at Ammanford Magistrates Court.
The prosecution was brought by Carmarthenshire County Council.
The court heard that Williams was stopped by police and council environmental enforcement officers in Cefneithin Road in Gorslas in June this year as part of a joint operation targeting scrap metal dealers in Carmarthenshire.
Williams was driving a 4×4 and was towing a trailer carrying a large amount of scrap metal. When asked if he was a licensed waste carrier, he said that he was but he did not have his licence with him. Subsequent inquiries revealed that Williams was registered with the Environment Agency as having a waste carriers licence, however, Williams admitted to officers that he did not have the required waste transfer notes for the waste he was carrying.
As a result, Williams was reported for prosecution. He was fined £100 by magistrates and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £225.
The council now hopes this case will act as a warning to others and help prevent the illegal transport of waste which often results in fly-tipping. More serious offences could lead to fines of up to £5,000.
Executive board member for the environment Councillor Philip Hughes said: “All businesses that carry waste, including scrap merchants, skip companies, builders and gardeners, must have a waste carriers licence.
“They must also make sure they have the correct paperwork for all the waste they carry and only use licensed waste sites to dispose of their rubbish.
“Hopefully this fine will help to get the message across that anyone caught illegally transporting waste will be prosecuted through the courts – where the maximum penalty is £5,000.”
