Tyne and Wear scrap metal firm fined £3,000 over disruptive air pollution
30 Apr 2014 03:57 PM
Emission of
chemical fumes affected residents and businesses in Swalwell two years
ago
A Tyne and Wear metals recycling
company has been fined £3,000 over an air pollution incident that caused
disruption to residents and businesses in Swalwell.
J&J Stanley Ltd was
sentenced by Newcastle Magistrates on 29 April following an emission of
chemical fumes from its site on Longrigg Road, Swalwell, two years
ago.
On the evening of 26 April 2012,
the police and fire brigade received reports of a strong chemical smell in the
area. The odour was so strong that the police closed nearby roads to vehicles
and pedestrians, and they also visited local residents to advise them to keep
windows and doors shut.
Chris Bunting, prosecuting for
the Environment Agency, told the court that Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue
Service attended the scene with six pumping appliances and specialist incident
support units.
Complaints came in from a local
pub, where people could no longer sit outdoors, and a takeaway business was
advised to close for the evening.
The Environment Agency tracked
the source of the smell to a 10-tonne pile of aluminium waste, a recyclable
residue known as dross, which had been deposited in the company’s
yard.
When investigating officers
visited the site, they could smell a chemical odour in the air, and a fizzing
sound was heard, indicating that a chemical reaction was taking place in the
aluminium waste pile.
The waste pile had been left
uncovered and exposed to rainfall, which may have started the
reaction.
Some of the material had been
moved into a covered storage skip to contain the smell, and when the cover was
pulled back for an inspection, the fumes caused an officer’s eyes to
immediately water.
In court, J&J Stanley Ltd
admitted an offence of depositing controlled waste in a manner likely to cause
pollution or harm to human health.
Sophie Webster, environment
management team leader at the Environment Agency, said after the
case:
The chemical odour that the
Swalwell community experienced in April 2012 was strong and unpleasant. The
emission of the fumes affected residents and businesses, and the emergency
services spent valuable time and effort responding to the incident to ensure
that people were not put at risk.
J&J Stanely’s poor
handling of its waste aluminium was the cause of the pollution, and as such
this incident could have been avoided, had appropriate procedures been
followed.
The fine imposed by the court
demonstrates the seriousness of environmental offences. Industrial operations
of this nature can pose a risk to the environment and local communities if they
are not properly managed – that’s why it is vital that companies
work within the rules.
In addition to the fine, J&J
Stanley Ltd was ordered to pay £3,015.10 in costs and a victim surcharge
of £120.