Waste Management: Four-month Prison Sentence for Company Owner

On 4 November 2002, the owner of an Earl Shilton skip hire company was given a four-month prison sentence after he pleaded guilty to nine charges of depositing, keeping and treating controlled waste illegally.

Mr Darryl Taylor was sentenced after he pleaded guilty at Leicester Magistrates Court to nine charges of keeping, treating and depositing waste on land which did not have a Waste Management Licence. The charge was brought by the Environment Agency under Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act.

Speaking after the case, Jeremy Reilly, an Environment Protection Officer involved in the investigation, said: "Businesses storing controlled waste must be aware of, and comply with, their responsibilities under the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994.

"These Regulations set out strict criteria that companies must meet to ensure their operations do not pose a risk to the environment. Businesses flouting these regulations are not only behaving irresponsibly, they are behaving illegally and the Agency takes every instance of this very seriously."

On the 26 July 2001, Agency Environment Protection Officers attending Mr Taylor’s yard, located at the rear of Nock Verges, Thurlaston Road, found several skips as well as controlled waste being deposited on the ground.

The officers visited the site on the 26 October 2001, and again found controlled waste in the yard, as well as a number of full skips. A large pile of brash work was stacked at one side of the yard. Mr Taylor was verbally informed that he should not be bringing waste back to his yard.

On the 14 November 2001, the Agency wrote to Mr Taylor, informing him that he was not exempt from the legal requirement to possess a Waste Management Licence in order to keep, treat and dispose of controlled waste.

On 19 December 2001, an Agency officer making a third visit to the yard found a large pile of demolition material which had been deposited on the ground. Two men were seen removing wood from the waste and placing it in trailer.

In mitigation, Mr McCole, for Mr Taylor, told the court that the main part of Mr Taylor’s business was haulage and that he was now looking into setting up a waste business legally. He also said that the threat of a custodial sentence had brought immense pressure in the last few weeks for him and his family.
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