Couple sentenced over North Yorkshire waste tip air risk

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-51154545

Version 0 of 1.

Former operators of a tip have been given suspended jail terms for causing a "significant risk to air quality," the Environment Agency said.

Stockpiles of combustible waste at the site in Great Heck in North Yorkshire were found to exceed permit levels.

A number of fires there in 2015 resulted in noxious smoke and fumes.

Stewart and Janice Wagstaff, of Templar Close, Whitley, near Selby, admitted a number of offences relating to the unlawful storage of waste.

The pair, aged 58 and 56, were directors of Wagstaff Total Waste Management Ltd which ran the tip.

Activities at the site became of concern to the Environment Agency in May 2013 when inspections by officers found stockpiles of combustible waste exceeding permitted levels.

"As a consequence of failing to meet the conditions of its environmental permit, when a fire did break out on site on 19 May 2015 and a second, more severe fire on 31 May 2015, in the region of 6,000 tonnes of waste were affected, either by fire or water, causing significant effects on air quality through smoke and fumes," the agency said.

"The smoke was noxious and pervasive and resulted in over 200 complaints to the Environment Agency from the public."

The agency added the waste also presented a risk of "groundwater pollution".

Residents had told the BBC the smoke had cause health problems and forced people from their homes.

In April 2015, the company was "further found to be in breach of its environmental permitting conditions for offsite waste odours, litter and managing pollution risks".

The company was placed into voluntary liquidation in 2015 leaving 10,000 tonnes of waste at the site.

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.