Detentions Carried Out in Link to Supersized Unauthorized Waste Site

Two men have been arrested as a component of an inquiry into the illegal deposit of many thousands of metric tons of waste in a rural field in Oxfordshire, England.

Authorities indicated that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a residence in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was arrested in Slough in association with the huge heap of waste deposited near Kidlington.

These arrests follow a recent investigation which uncovered the presence of in excess of 500 unauthorized sites across England, encompassing at a minimum of 11 so-called "large-scale sites" greater than 20,000 tons.

A spokeswoman for the environment body said that the detentions were for ecological and financial violations and constituted a "key step" in continuing probes. The two individuals have been let go on conditional release.

Magnitude of the Situation

The dump in the Kidlington area, located between the River Cherwell and the A34 road, is thought to contain about 21,000 tons of refuse in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) in height.

This mound of garbage is composed of what looks to be processed household rubbish, shredded plastic items, expanded polystyrene, tyres and other domestic objects.

It is just one example of 517 unauthorized sites throughout England, at a minimum of 11 of which hold in excess of 20,000 metric tons of waste. Such sites include a 280,000-tonne area in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The total number of such bigger dumps is probably to be greater, as the environment authority has earlier stated it does not hold data on tonnage for all unauthorized tip.

The majority sites are in rural settings, typically out of sight, and on land that should be arable ground.

Organised Activity

Police report many are run by organised crime gangs, who are generating cash by demanding far less than legitimate companies to receive and landfill rubbish.

Companies have to be liable for gate fees to use lawful disposal sites, contingent on the amount and nature of waste they are trying to dispose of, and a disposal levy is also levied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Community Anger

Initial work to remove the affected dump started recently due to worries over the potential of fire and the consequences that would have on the adjacent major road.

A private clean-up company has been awarded the contract to deal with the area over the following 12 months at a expense of £9.6m.

An compliance official for the national regulatory team said that the body would be seeking to recoup the clearance expenses under asset recovery laws from anyone convicted at the conclusion of its ongoing investigation.

She added that these arrests would help "push the inquiry forward" and enable the agency to "follow more lines of inquiry to understand in detail what occurred and who was implicated".

"This unauthorized dump at this location was an atrocious and calculated assault on our ecology and the authorities understand the public's anger at this terrible act," she remarked.

A government official supported the actions, adding: "This unlawful deposit of garbage at Kidlington is appalling and has caused considerable damage to the environment and distress to the local residents.

"The government is dedicated to eradicating this type of criminality in the country, by augmenting financing to address illegal dumping, hiring more officers and enacting tougher controls and sanctions for those who break the regulations."

The apprehensions were carried out on the specified day by agents from a specialist organised crime squad and are in addition to an prior detention of a man in his thirties from the Guildford region in November. He was set free pending more inquiries.