Environmental health news: Arrests made over chemical dumping

A series of early morning raids across the north of England have led to the arrest of three men in relation to a serious incident of illegal chemical waste dumping.

Large quantities of dangerous chemicals, including acids, solvents and pharmaceuticals, were found on the back of three abandoned lorry trailers approximately six months ago.

Remote locations in Shropshire, Lancashire and Yorkshire were selected by criminals to dispose of the hazardous and flammable chemicals, which were left in a total of 96 drums.

Commenting on the investigation, Eddie Platt, a senior environmental crime officer, said: "Dumping waste illegally puts human health and wildlife at risk - and undermines the legitimate waste industry."

He added that substances of this nature need to be treated properly before being disposed of to prevent any environmental damage as well as protecting public health.

A total of nine sites, both residential and industrial, were targeted by the police raids on November 18th.

The Environment Agency reported that England and Wales produced approximately six million tonnes of hazardous waste in 2006. The organisation dealt with more than 900 cases of illegal waste dumping between 2006 and 2007.

Posted by Joseph Hutton