Detentions Made in Connection to Enormous Unlawful Rubbish Dump

A pair of individuals have been arrested as an element of an investigation into the tipping of many thousands of metric tons of rubbish in a field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Law enforcement stated that a 69-year-old was arrested at a residence in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was detained in Slough in relation with the enormous pile of garbage tipped near Kidlington.

These arrests come after a recent investigation which revealed the presence of in excess of 500 unauthorized sites throughout England, including at least 11 so-called "large-scale sites" bigger than 20,000 tons.

A official for the environment authorities stated that the arrests were for environmental and financial violations and represented a "vital step" in active inquiries. Both men have been released on bail.

Size of the Issue

The illegal site in Kidlington, positioned between the River Cherwell and the A34 road, is estimated to house around 21,000 tonnes of waste in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) high.

This pile of waste is composed of what looks to be processed residential waste, fragmented plastic materials, Styrofoam, tires and various everyday objects.

It represents just one example of 517 unauthorized tips across England, at a minimum of 11 of which hold in excess of 20,000 metric tons of waste. Such sites encompass a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire county and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne dump in the county of Kent.

The actual amount of such larger sites is expected to be greater, as the environment agency has previously acknowledged it does not possess information on tonnage for all unlawful dump.

Most sites are in agricultural locations, frequently hidden, and on land that is zoned as arable land.

Organized Activity

Law enforcement report many are run by criminal organizations, who are earning cash by charging significantly less than licensed firms to receive and bury waste.

Firms have to be liable for site fees to use legitimate landfill sites, contingent on the volume and type of waste they are trying to discard, and landfill tax is also applied at just over £126 per tonne.

Community Anger

Preparation operations to remove the Kidlington dump started recently following concerns over the potential of combustion and the impact that would have on the adjacent highway.

A contracted waste clearance company has been granted the contract to remediate the location over the coming 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An investigations officer for the national regulatory division said that the authority would be looking to recoup the clean-up costs under confiscation laws from any individual ultimately prosecuted at the end of its current inquiry.

She noted that this week's arrests would help "push the probe forward" and enable authorities to "follow more leads to ascertain in detail what occurred and who was implicated".

"The illegal tip at Kidlington was an appalling and intentional attack on our natural surroundings and officials empathize with the community's frustration at this terrible act," she stated.

A senior representative supported the actions, adding: "This illegal tipping of garbage at this location is utterly appalling and has led to considerable damage to the natural world and distress to the local community.

"The authorities is pledged to stamping out this kind of crime throughout the country, by augmenting resources to combat waste crime, hiring more officers and introducing tougher measures and penalties for those who violate the regulations."

The apprehensions were carried out on a recent Thursday by officers from a regional crime squad and come after an previous detention of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area in the autumn. He was set free subject to further investigations.