Company and MD fined for burning waste

An Essex composting operator and its MD have been fined £3,000 and £2,000 respectively after burning waste and failing to comply with the terms of its environmental permit.

In an Environment Agency (EA) prosecution, Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court was told how in August 2010 a local resident witnessed a truck operated by Heatherland, based in Writtle, drive past his house, followed it with his camera and took pictures of the contents of the lorry on the floor next to a large bonfire.

Heatherland was authorised to keep and treat shredded green waste, operating as a composting site.

MD Michael Lunnon pleaded guilty on his own behalf and on behalf of his company to burning controlled waste on a non permitted area of land, as well as causing the production and escape of odours from the permitted composting site on the same land.