Detentions Carried Out in Relation to Massive Unauthorized Waste Site

Two individuals have been arrested as an element of an investigation into the dumping of many thousands of tonnes of rubbish in a field in Oxfordshire.

Officials indicated that a 69-year-old was detained at a residence in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was arrested in Slough, Berkshire in connection with the massive mound of garbage tipped near the area of Kidlington.

These detentions occur a week after a recent report which revealed the existence of more than 500 illegal sites throughout England, encompassing at a minimum of 11 so-called "major sites" greater than 20,000 metric tons.

A spokeswoman for the environmental body said that the arrests were for environmental and money laundering offences and represented a "crucial step" in active inquiries. The apprehended men have been released on bail.

Magnitude of the Problem

The dump in near Kidlington, located between the Cherwell River and the A34 highway, is believed to house approximately 21,000 tonnes of waste in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) high.

This mound of garbage is made up of what appears to be sorted household refuse, chopped up plastic materials, polystyrene, automobile tires and various household items.

It represents just a single of 517 unauthorized sites in the country, at least 11 of which hold in excess of 20,000 tons of rubbish. Such sites encompass a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The overall amount of such major dumps is expected to be larger, as the regulatory authority has earlier acknowledged it does not maintain records on volume for each illegal dump.

A large proportion of these sites are in countryside areas, often hidden, and on land that is zoned as agricultural land.

Organized Enterprise

Law enforcement state many are managed by organised crime gangs, who are earning profit by charging far less than licensed operators to accept and bury waste.

Companies have to pay site fees to use lawful disposal sites, depending on the amount and category of refuse they are trying to discard, and a disposal levy is also applied at just over £126 per ton.

Public Frustration

Preparatory work to remove the Kidlington area site commenced earlier this month following fears over the threat of fire and the consequences that would have on the nearby A-road.

A private clean-up firm has been granted the task to deal with the location over the coming 12 months at a expense of £9.6m.

An enforcement manager for the national regulatory division said that the agency would be seeking to recover the clean-up expenses under asset recovery acts from anyone ultimately found guilty at the end of its active case.

She noted that the recent apprehensions would help "drive the probe forward" and permit officials to "investigate more avenues to understand in detail what happened and who was implicated".

"This illegal tip at this location was an shocking and calculated affront on our environment and the authorities empathize with the local frustration at this egregious act," she remarked.

A government representative welcomed the detentions, stating: "This unauthorized deposit of rubbish at Kidlington is disgraceful and has led to considerable harm to the natural world and distress to the nearby residents.

"Our government is dedicated to stamping out this type of illegal activity throughout the nation, by boosting funds to address illegal dumping, recruiting more personnel and enacting tougher controls and penalties for those who break the rules."

The apprehensions were executed on a recent Thursday by agents from a regional organised crime unit and come after an prior arrest of a man in his thirties from the Guildford area in the autumn. He was set free subject to further inquiries.