Illegal waste will remain an 'out of control plague' without greater co-operation, committee warns

Huge illegal waste dumps could remain an "out of control plague" if there isn't more co-operation between the Environment Agency (EA) and police, according to the committee which oversees public spending. 

In a new report, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) says the increasing problem of large-scale waste sites "surpasses" the EA's powers.

It also claims the EA has a problem with "intelligence gaps" when it comes to the criminality behind illegal waste dumping.

But the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), which oversees the EA, told Sky News the report was "out of date before it was even published" and doesn't take into account a raft of new measures.

The report comes ahead of the chief executive of the EA, Philip Duffy, appearing before the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee.

PAC chair Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said while government plans to arm the EA with greater powers are "welcome", more needs to be done.

"Without deeper co-operation with police and local authorities, illegal waste is still liable to be an out-of-control plague on our communities."

Issue has become 'widespread'

In its Environmental Regulation report, PAC says that waste regulation is "not effective enough" at stopping waste crime or non-compliance.

"We are encouraged by the Environment Agency's recent enforcement action at a permitted landfill site where there was large-scale pollution. However, the widespread and increasing issue of illegal waste sites surpasses the Environment Agency's powers," the report says.

It adds: "The agency lacks the option of enforcing civil powers against illegal sites and is restricted to the lengthier and more expensive route of criminal prosecutions."

What's being done about it?

A DEFRA spokesperson said the PAC report does not reflect the "significant reforms" already underway or "new actions to give regulators the tools, powers and investment they need to protect nature and drive growth."

Last week, Sky News reported how the government is looking to hand EA officers police-style powers, including arrests without warrants, searching premises and seizing assets.

The EA also unveiled a 10-point plan to tackle waste crime, including speeding up response times when alerted to dumping and more co-ordinated intelligence gathering and sharing.

The government also announced it will fund the clear-up of three large illegal waste sites in Wigan, Sheffield and Lancashire following Sky News reports of a north-south divide in funding.

While PAC praised the EA for its response to the large-scale dump in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, once it got "confirmed intelligence", it said local bodies had been aware of the problem for weeks before that.

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"This incident illustrates the gaps in its intelligence on this type of criminality and highlights how it lacks the ability to collaborate effectively with other bodies such as the police and local authorities," the report said.

The committee is also urging the government to consider the merger of regulatory responsibilities of Natural England and the EA to reduce complexities.

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