Scrap yard boss found guilty
ASCRAP yard company director has been convicted of failing to comply with permit conditions and ‘ignoring’ an Environment Agency notice.
The Environment Agency (EA) said electrical waste equipment – including more than 2,000 fridges – were dismantled at TH Smith and Sons in Great Harwood over a 15-month period when it was ‘not authorised to do so’ under its waste permit.
Burnley magistrates court heard that the company – which has since been wound up – was a scrap yard for ‘end of life vehicles’ and was not allowed to accept any electrical waste.
Mary Smith, 40, of Meadows Street, Great Harwood, was the sole director of the company.
She was found guilty after a four-day trial of failing to comply with requirements of environmental permit conditions, failing to comply with the requirements of an enforcement waste notice, and contravening the requirements of an environmental permit.
The case was adjourned for sentence on October 2.
Chris Bunting, prosecuting on behalf of the EA, told the court that during surveillance of the Meadow Street site officers saw more than 2,000 fridge cases being ‘transferred to another waste operator’.
EA officers spoke to Smith on ‘more than one occasion’ during inspections of the site and ‘pointed out this area of non-compliance’, the hearing was told.
The court heard that an EA officer called Smith to say the permit was being suspended because of non-payment of subsistence fees and that after several weeks the permit was revoked.
Mr Bunting said notice was ‘simply ignored’ and that the ‘company carried on regardless’. He also told the court that the company received payment of more than £93,000 for metals ‘despite the fact they had no permit’.
Smith claimed that she was suffering from ‘significant depression’ during the time of the offences and that she left the running of the yard to two employees.
She also claimed that she was ‘unaware’ the firm’s permit had been revoked and denied receiving any formal EA letters and notices.
Speaking after the hearing, EA environment manager for Lancashire Steve Molyneux said: “We remain committed to working with our partners to hold those responsible to account and pursue a solution so that residents of Great Harwood and the surrounding area are able to enjoy the local environment.”