"Organised crime groups in the UK are making millions every year from illegally dumping and burning rubbish, peers have told ministers, after an inquiry found a lack of enforcement made it a low-risk, high-reward criminal enterprise. Criminality is endemic in the waste sector, a Lords committee told the government on Tuesday, after it found at least 38m tonnes of waste was illegally managed every year, leading to serious environmental, economic and social consequences. Within 18 months, officials must carry out"
"a root and branch review of responses to waste crime, explaining why so many serious transgressions have been allowed and ending a merry-go-round where members of the public trying to report crimes are passed from agency to agency with none taking responsibility, the report said. The letter on Tuesday to Emma Reynolds, the environment secretary, followed an investigation by the Lords environment and climate change committee that found multiple failures"
"by authorities responsible for tackling illegal waste dumping. According to evidence heard by the committee, waste crime costs the UK economy 1bn a year in clean-up, enforcement costs and lost revenues to legitimate businesses and the taxman with up to 150m evaded in landfill tax alone. We have heard credible evidence of numerous specific examples of the failure of the Environment Agency to: pursue repeated reports of serious waste crime; effectively utilise the powers available to it to stop the mass, illegal"
Organised crime groups in the UK earn millions annually by illegally dumping and burning rubbish, creating a low-risk, high-reward enterprise due to weak enforcement. At least 38 million tonnes of waste are illegally managed each year, producing serious environmental, economic and social consequences. Waste crime costs the UK about £1bn a year in clean-up, enforcement and lost revenues, with up to £150m evaded in landfill tax. Officials must carry out a root-and-branch review of responses to waste crime within 18 months to assign responsibility and stop public reports being passed between agencies. The Environment Agency and police have repeatedly failed to pursue reports, use available powers, and secure timely prosecutions, enabling organised criminality and links to drugs and money laundering.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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