Illegal dumping of waste at Melvich
A large pile of sub soils and topsoil have been illegally dumped at the closed landfill site at Melvich so the Highland Council and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) are reminding people living in the area, especially house builders or those undertaking other building projects, that anyone caught illegally dumping waste could face prosecution.
Local Councillors George Farlow, Linda Munro and Robbie Rowantree unanimously deplore the actions of whoever illegally dumped this waste and have asked that the community support the Council, the landowner and SEPA in preventing any further fly tipping taking place.
They said: “Whoever dumped this unsightly amount of soil has committed an offence. All such waste should go to a licensed or registered exempt facility. We are working with the local Police, the landowner and SEPA to track down who did this so if anyone has any information, we encourage them to come forward.”
The Melvich Landfill site closed in 1996 and no waste of any kind should be deposited at the old site. The nearest facility to take waste is Seater Landfill Site at Bower. SEPA can also supply details of all registered exempt sites where soils can be accepted as part of a restoration programme.
Isobel Ham, an Environment Protection Officer with SEPA, said:
“Illegal dumping of waste such as this not only causes an unsightly blight on the landscape, it also costs bodies such as The Highland Council, SEPA and Northern Constabulary time and money to investigate and, if necessary, remove.
“There is absolutely no excuse for this soil being illegally dumped. There are a variety of ways soil can re-used, including agricultural or ecological improvement and land reclamation, restoration or improvement. SEPA can grant exemptions from Waste Management Regulations for soil re-use if certain criteria are met. Details of facilities accepting this sort of waste, as well as information on re-use and exemptions, are available from www.sepa.org.uk or by contacting the local SEPA office.
“We need people to be our eyes and ears and report sightings of illegal dumping via the Dumb Dumpers Stopline on 0845 2 30 40 90. This is open 24/7, every single day. If you see anyone dumping waste please contact the above number. Try to note and report useful details, like times, dates, vehicle registration, landmarks, if there is a local watercourse etc. However, your own safety is important, so please think of this at all times, and remember you can make a report to us in confidence.”