A third waste carrier has been convicted after thousands of tonnes of waste were dumped on a floodplain in a major illegal tipping operation investigated by the Environment Agency.
DTM Grab Hire Ltd has been ordered to pay £16,664 for its role in depositing waste at an illegal site which was shut down by the Environment Agency in 2022.
The Environment Agency said the case relates to a site in Kingsteignton, South Devon, where thousands of tonnes of waste were dumped on a floodplain.
Plymouth Magistrates’ Court heard the company deposited 3,490 tonnes of soil, stones and road planings at the site between Sunday, January 3, 2021 and Saturday, September 11, 2021.
Following a hearing on Thursday, May 14, DTM Grab Hire Ltd was fined £13,653 and ordered to pay Environment Agency costs of £2,821, along with a victim surcharge, after pleading guilty to the illegal deposit of controlled waste.
The Environment Agency has now prosecuted the landowner and two waste carriers as part of its investigation into the site.
Landowner Christopher Garrett was prosecuted in 2024 after repeatedly ignoring warnings from the Environment Agency. Another waste carrier, David Gorton, was fined last month for his contribution to the deposit of waste at the site.
Investigators found thousands of tonnes of mixed construction and demolition waste at the premises. The Environment Agency estimates it would cost at least £2.5 million to remediate the site.
The agency said the deposits significantly increased the flood risk in the area.
An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “We have now successfully prosecuted the landowner of this illegal site, plus two waste carriers involved in dumping waste there.
“Registered waste carriers have a duty of care to ensure they know where their waste is being taken and that it is handled by legal sites.
“We will continue to pursue those who illegally dump waste and damage the environment.”
The Environment Agency said registered waste carriers are responsible for ensuring waste is sent to authorised sites and handled legally.
