The director of a skip company has been given a 22-week suspended prison sentence after illegally storing and treating 6,000 cubic metres of waste.
Oldham-based Ervan Connell was prosecuted by the Environment Agency after it found the 54-year-old director had allowed an environmental offence to occur. His company, CK Waste, situated on an industrial estate in Manchester, had failed to operate within its permit and managed waste without a set of procedures that identified and minimised risk of pollution and was therefore handling waste illegally. Connell was also issued with an enforcement notice as excessive piled waste posed a serious fire risk after being stored for too long.
Following the issue of the enforcement notice, Mr Connell failed to take steps to reduce the piled waste on site and failed to provide a fire prevention plan. Connell’s sentence was suspended for 12 months and he was ordered to pay costs totalling £8,132.45. He was also disqualified from being a director for three years.
An Environment Agency spokeswoman said: “Mr Connell was offered extensive advice and guidance from Environment Agency officers but despite this, failed to take steps to reduce piled waste at the site in Dukinfield, Manchester. Businesses and householders also need to do everything possible to ensure that waste doesn’t end up in the hands of operators who break the law.”
