An Isle of Wight demolition company has been fined a whopping £12,500 after being found guilty of storing asbestos without a permit.
Ryde Demolition Company Ltd were also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £170 and costs of £4,000.
The director, Neil Hamilton, was also fined £1,108 with a victim surcharge for storing asbestos waste without a waste permit and failure to comply with the hazardous waste regulations. He pleaded guilty to the charges at Isle of Wight Magistrates Court.
Tip off led to inspection
In April 2017, the Environment Agency had been tipped off that the company were storing asbestos in a large container skip (pictured above).
After Environment Agency officers attended the site, Mr Harrison admitted he’d been transporting and depositing asbestos waste at Rosemary Copse Farm. It emerged that he had stored the waste at the farm until the asbestos container was full and would then remove it to the mainland.
Director admitted the charges
Mr Harrison fully admitted to the transfer, deposit and storage of asbestos waste on land at Rosemary Copse Farm without holding an Environmental Permit and for not using consignment notes correctly, as well as failing to submit consignee returns for the movement of the hazardous wastes.
Previous prosecutions
Richard O’Callaghan, Environment Manager at the Environment Agency said:
“Mr Harrison’s actions showed a blatant disregard for the environment. We have previously prosecuted Mr Harrison for a similar offence in December 2013. Asbestos is a hazardous waste and needs to be transported and stored correctly. In cases like this we have no hesitation in prosecuting those involved”.
“To ensure that the right waste gets to the right place, we encourage the public and businesses to check that their waste carrier is registered on Gov.UK. If you are getting rid of any hazardous waste, including asbestos you should receive a ‘consignment note’ that tracks the waste. If your waste carrier is not registered, then you must use one that is.”
