A firm and two of its bosses blamed for “fridge mountains” in Greater Manchester, have been fined for breaching a waste management licence.
About 100,000 fridges were dumped at four sites when Britannia Import Export went into liquidation in 2004
The Environment Agency said it was disappointed with the fines of £500 each given to Britannia’s director and company secretary.
The charges related to inadequate security at a site in Trafford Park.
Fridges cleared
Robert Bulcock, the company’s former director, was fined £500, David Yeomans, the former company secretary, £500 and the firm £100, at the hearing on Wednesday.
All three pleaded guilty to breaching the waste management licence.
The Environment Agency says the fact that the firm was in liquidation accounted for its “nominal” fine, but said the bosses’ penalties were disappointing considering the fridge mountains’ impact on the environment.
The fire in Trafford Park, Greater Manchester A fire was sparked at the Trafford Road site in October 2004
Environment Agency regional director Robert Runcie said: “Despite advice and enforcement action from the Environment Agency, they showed a blatant disregard for the law and the potential impact on the environment and the public was considerable.
“Fortunately, as a result of the combined efforts of a number of organisations, the fridges have been cleared from all the Greater Manchester sites and the risk to the environment has been removed.”
Environment Agency officers found damaged fencing, open gates and the site unattended, when they inspected in December 2003. The agency says the issue was not resolved and brought charges.
The site at the centre of the charges, at Twining Road, was damaged by fire in October 2004.
From The BBC