Chair of Inquiry Expresses Concern Over Undisclosed Waste Mountain

The head of a House of Lords committee has voiced serious concern that the Environment Agency (EA) failed to disclose several illegal waste locations. The agency had submitted information for an inquiry into unlawful dumping, identifying multiple sites across England. However, Baroness Shas Sheehan highlighted that the massive waste heap in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, along with locations in Wigan and Worcestershire, were not included and were later reported in the media.

The EA has rejected these claims as "inaccurate," asserting that it "provided a full response" to all questions it received.

Baroness Sheehan has reached out to EA leaders, including Chair Alan Lovell and Chief Executive Philip Duffy, seeking further clarification. She emphasized that members of the environment and climate change committee were increasingly alarmed by media revelations of additional waste crime sites. She expressed disappointment that these particular sites were not presented to the committee.

The inquiry, which concluded in October, examined organized waste crime and illegal dumping posing significant environmental threats.

In its report, the EA acknowledged awareness of illegal waste locations in Kent, Lancashire, Cheshire, Cornwall, and Norfolk. Baroness Sheehan expressed worry that other large-scale, environmentally harmful sites might exist but have not been reported.

An EA spokesperson reiterated: "These claims are inaccurate. We have engaged fully with Baroness Sheehan's inquiry and provided comprehensive responses to all questions. We remain committed to assisting the Committee with any further inquiries." The agency noted that its submission specifically addressed illegal dumps comparable in size to the Hoads Wood site in Kent. It confirmed knowledge of six other sites of similar or greater scale, while stating that the additional sites mentioned in the media did not meet that size threshold.

Author: Harper Simmons