Operation at illegal waste site paused following discovery of asbestos
Gloucester City Council has temporarily halted its major multi-agency operation on private land behind the St Oswalds retail park
Gloucester City Council has temporarily halted its major multi-agency operation on private land behind the St Oswalds retail park after the discovery of a significant amount of asbestos buried within the illegally deposited waste on the site.
The planned 2-day operation, on Wednesday, had already removed approximately 75 tonnes of waste and rubbish from the site. However, work was immediately suspended when asbestos-containing materials were identified within the waste.
The Council is now taking further steps to secure the site, with concrete blocks being installed at the entrance to prevent unauthorised access.
Specialist asbestos removal contractors will be contacted to assess the extent of the contamination and determine the safest and most appropriate way forward.
It is estimated that more than 250 tonnes of waste remain on the site.
The discovery forms part of a wider operation led by Gloucester City Council, working alongside partner agencies including the Environment Agency, Gloucestershire Constabulary and Ubico, to remove illegally deposited waste, secure the site and investigate those responsible.
The Council has stressed that there is no risk to residents living in neighbouring properties. However, officers have strongly criticised the actions of those who disposed of the material.
Asbestos is a hazardous substance which requires careful handling, removal and disposal by appropriately trained and licensed specialists. Avoiding the proper and lawful disposal of asbestos in order to save money is not only irresponsible but has the potential to put people at serious risk.
While there is no risk to nearby residents, if those responsible for depositing the asbestos failed to use specialist contractors to handle and remove it, they may have put themselves and others involved in the activity at risk.
James Dykes, Enforcement and Regulation Service Manager at Gloucester City Council, said: " Anyone seeking to avoid the cost of disposing of asbestos safely and legally is taking an incredibly reckless approach that has the potential to put themselves and other people at risk. We remain absolutely committed to clearing this site and protecting local residents. Once the concerns about the asbestos have been resolved, we will do everything we can to tackle the remaining issues.”
Inspector James O’Neill, from the Gloucester Neighbourhood policing team, said:” Today’s activity involved securing the site, serving enforcement notices against those responsible and the clearance of the waste. As a result of the operation, a piece of heavy plant machinery used by those operating the illegal waste site was seized. As well as this, two vehicles laden with waste and bound for the site were stopped and dealt with by Police and Environment Agency staff. One driver was reported for summons for prosecution for various offences, whilst the other vehicle was seized to be crushed. We hope that today's efforts show the local community how seriously we are taking this issue as we will be working with partner agency colleagues to conduct further enforcement action."
The operation should serve as a reminder that householders and businesses have a legal duty to ensure their waste is passed only to authorised, registered waste carriers. If waste is illegally dumped the original owner and the unlicensed operator face prosecution and a fine.
Waste removed from the site will be examined for evidence that could assist in identifying where it originated and those responsible for its disposal.
Gloucester City Council says it would like to thank residents for their patience and understanding while the next steps are assessed and implemented.