Waste criminals investigated CSI style

The Environment Agency (EA) has warned waste criminals that it plans to start using hi-tech ‘CSI techniques’ to catch them out.

Forensics, crime mapping and handwriting analysis will all be used to help the EA stamp out the practice of dumping rubbish illegally.

Half of the illegal waste sites found in England and Wales during 2007/8 were closed down or brought up to legal standard.

This is not enough for the EA, who wants to see a complete end to illegal rubbish dumping, and is willing to get heavy handed for this to happen.

EA Chairman Chris Smith commented that illegal waste sites can do serious damage to the environment, posing a risk to wildlife and people living nearby.

Illegal waste sites are rubbish dumps that don’t have a permit for waste to be deposited, treated, stored or disposed of.

Many of them are run in an organised manner, with the site’s owner completely aware of the activities.

Those who run the sites are often organised career criminals, using revenue from the dumped waste to fund other illegal activities.

This makes enforcement against illegal dumping a lengthy and complex process.

Smith said that other bodies, including the police, the DVLA and local authorities are now getting involved in the fight against illegal waste.

He added that there is now ‘no hiding place’ for waste criminals, with the EA taking ‘every step possible’ to ensure that justice is done.