Waste company hit with fine for ignoring environmental request
A waste management company and one of its partners has been fined a total of £52,405.05 for failing to provide essential information about the metals they processed.
At Worcester Magistrates Court on Friday (14 March), Tetron Welbeck pleaded guilty to not complying with a formal request from the Environment Agency.
Edward Seekings, a partner in the business, also pleaded guilty.
The Agency had issued the request after the partnership failed to provide details about the materials accepted at its Nottinghamshire site.
With an environmental permit to operate at Welbeck Colliery near Mansfield since 2013, the company was required to submit the requested data.
This information would have allowed the Agency to verify that the waste being received at the site was properly categorised.
The partnership, whose office is based at Hadzor Court in Droitwich, Worcestershire, had a deadline of 15 June 2023 to submit the required information but failed to respond.
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “We welcome this sentence which should act as a deterrent to others considering flouting the law. As a regulator, the Environment Agency will not hesitate to pursue any person failing to provide the information requested.
The company was fined £44,800, with additional costs of £5,605.05, along with a victim surcharge of £2,000, bringing their total payment to £52,405.05.
Seekings was fined £1,708 and ordered to pay £5,605.05 in costs, plus a victim surcharge of £683, totalling £7,996.05.
While Seekings sent a work plan on the deadline date, it did not contain the necessary details.
Despite attempts by the Environment Agency to obtain the information, the partnership did not comply, leading to the prosecution.
The spokesperson continued: “The Environment Agency served a formal legal notice in this case requiring information to be provided. It is a criminal offence to fail to comply with a notice requiring information. If anyone is suspicious of waste activities they should call our 24/7 hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or Crimestoppers anonymously and in confidence on 0800 555 111.”
