A Middlesbrough waste operator has received a two-year suspended prison sentence for offences relating to the illegal storage of tyres.
Laura Hepburn was also ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work in the community following her appearance at Teesside crown court.
She was one of six defendants who the court heard repeatedly ignored Environment Agency (EA) advice about waste storage, before fires broke out that then burned for days.
Hepburn was director of transport operator Greenology (Teesside) as well as waste storage firm Greenology (Liverton).
The Liverton firm’s manager, Jonathan Brudenell, was jailed for two years and 10 months; Selective Environmental Solutions’ director Jonathan Waldron received a 20 month sentence suspended for two years and all three firms were given fines ranging between £14,666 and £69,000.
Gary Wallace, EA area environment manager in the North East, said waste criminals cause distress to communities: “All of those sentenced have shown a complete disregard for environmental laws, which are there to protect people and the environment.
“They could have been in no doubt that the sites were operating illegally and posed a significant fire-risk, but repeatedly ignored our officers’ warnings about bringing the sites back into compliance and making them safe.
“The walls of waste resulted in two major fires, impacting on the environment and causing misery for local residents.”
