Apprehensions Made in Relation to Supersized Unauthorized Waste Site

Two men have been arrested as an element of an inquiry into the dumping of thousands of metric tons of refuse in a open field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Officials reported that a 69-year-old was arrested at a dwelling in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in the town of Slough in association with the huge heap of waste tipped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These apprehensions follow a prior investigation which uncovered the presence of in excess of 500 unauthorized sites throughout England, featuring at least 11 so-called "large-scale sites" greater than 20,000 tons.

A representative for the environmental agency stated that the detentions were for ecological and money laundering violations and were a "key step" in ongoing inquiries. The apprehended men have been set free on bail.

Magnitude of the Issue

The tipping ground in Kidlington, positioned between the Cherwell River and the A34, is believed to hold around 21,000 metric tons of waste in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) high.

This pile of garbage is composed of what seems to be processed domestic rubbish, fragmented plastics, Styrofoam, tyres and other domestic articles.

It is just a single of 517 illegal sites across England, at minimum 11 of which hold more than 20,000 tons of waste. They feature a 280,000-tonne location in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The overall amount of such major sites is probably to be greater, as the environmental agency has previously stated it does not hold information on tonnage for every illegal tip.

A large proportion of such locations are in countryside locations, typically hidden, and on land that is intended to be agricultural ground.

Organized Operations

Police state many are operated by organized crime groups, who are making profit by asking for much less than legitimate operators to take and bury rubbish.

Businesses have to be liable for disposal fees to use lawful waste facilities, based on the amount and type of waste they are trying to dispose of, and a waste tax is also charged at just over £126 per tonne.

Community Outrage

Initial work to clean up the Kidlington dump commenced earlier this month amid worries over the threat of blaze and the impact that would have on the adjacent A-road.

A commercial clean-up firm has been given the job to handle the site over the coming 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An compliance manager for the government environment team commented that the authority would be seeking to claim back the remediation costs under asset recovery acts from anyone successfully prosecuted at the end of its current investigation.

She further stated that the recent detentions would help "push the probe forward" and permit authorities to "follow more avenues to understand precisely what happened and who was involved".

"This unlawful dump at Kidlington was an shocking and deliberate attack on our natural surroundings and we empathize with the local frustration at this terrible act," she stated.

A senior representative praised the arrests, stating: "This illegal tipping of garbage at this location is utterly appalling and has led to considerable harm to the natural world and distress to the surrounding population.

"The government is dedicated to eliminating this kind of criminality across the country, by boosting financing to address illegal dumping, recruiting more staff and introducing more severe measures and penalties for those who violate the regulations."

The arrests were carried out on a recent Thursday by agents from a regional organised crime unit and are in addition to an earlier arrest of a 39-year-old from the Surrey region in the autumn. He was set free pending more investigations.