Arrests Made in Connection to Supersized Illegal Rubbish Dump

Two individuals have been arrested as a component of an probe into the tipping of several thousand of tonnes of refuse in a open field in Oxfordshire.

Authorities indicated that a 69-year-old was detained at a dwelling in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was arrested in Slough, Berkshire in connection with the massive heap of rubbish dumped near Kidlington.

These detentions occur a week after a recent report which revealed the operation of more than 500 unlawful sites in England, including at least 11 so-called "major sites" greater than 20,000 metric tons.

A representative for the environment authorities said that the arrests were for environment-related and proceeds of crime violations and constituted a "key step" in continuing inquiries. Both men have been set free on conditional release.

Size of the Problem

The tipping ground in near Kidlington, positioned between the River Cherwell and the A34 highway, is believed to house about 21,000 tons of refuse in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) high.

This heap of garbage is composed of what appears to be treated domestic rubbish, fragmented plastic items, Styrofoam, tyres and various household articles.

It represents just one of 517 unlawful dumps across England, at least 11 of which are estimated to hold in excess of 20,000 tons of rubbish. Such sites encompass a 280,000-tonne location in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in the county of Kent.

The actual amount of such major sites is expected to be larger, as the environmental authority has previously acknowledged it does not maintain records on volume for each unlawful tip.

Most sites are in rural settings, often hidden, and on land that is zoned as farm ground.

Criminal Operations

Authorities state many are run by criminal organizations, who are making profit by asking for significantly less than legitimate firms to take and dispose of rubbish.

Businesses have to incur gate fees to use legitimate landfill sites, based on the quantity and type of waste they are trying to discard, and landfill tax is also charged at just over £126 per ton.

Public Frustration

Initial operations to remove the affected site began earlier this month amid worries over the potential of blaze and the effect that would have on the close-by highway.

A contracted clean-up contractor has been granted the job to deal with the location over the following 12 months period at a cost of £9.6m.

An enforcement manager for the country's environment team commented that the body would be seeking to recoup the clean-up expenses under asset recovery acts from anyone convicted at the conclusion of its ongoing investigation.

She further stated that these detentions would help "push the probe forward" and permit officials to "investigate more leads to ascertain precisely what transpired and who was involved".

"The unauthorized dump at Kidlington was an atrocious and intentional assault on our environment and officials share the community's outrage at this egregious offence," she said.

A government minister praised the detentions, stating: "The unlawful tipping of waste at Kidlington is utterly appalling and has led to considerable harm to the natural world and upset to the nearby residents.

"Our authorities is dedicated to eradicating this category of crime in the nation, by augmenting funds to address illegal dumping, employing more staff and introducing more severe controls and fines for those who flout the regulations."

The apprehensions were made on the specified day by agents from a specialist organised crime unit and are in addition to an prior apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area area in last November. He was released awaiting more inquiries.