A Tayside company has agreed to pay out £14,000 after incorrectly disposing of 8,000 tonnes of waste.
Carnoustie-based DJ Laing admitted the offence which happened on land at East Den, Petterden, near Tealing, between September 2016 and January 20 2017.
The deposit transferred in error to East Den contained small particles of brick, plastic, concrete and small pieces of wood.
The company said it did not knowingly carry out the unauthorised deposit but “erred in not seeking an appropriate authorisation from Sepa (the Scottish Environment Protection Agency) as they ought to have done”.
DJ Laing said it was “an innocent mistake” which happened as a result of materials being stockpiled for eight years before being disposed of in error.
Better training and checking processes have been introduced as a result “to ensure all staff and operatives on the site are fully understanding of the types of material that can be reused offsite and onsite”.
Sepa accepted an offer from DJ Laing of “enforcement undertakings” which give environmental offenders the chance to make amends for their behaviour rather than face prosecution.
Chairman David Laing said the material was stored on the Petterden site with a view to being reused but that didn’t happen because of the construction downturn.
He said after eight years there was no reuse market for the material and it was disposed of in error outwith the licensed Petterden site.
Mr Laing said they are working very hard with Sepa in respect of the enforcement undertakings with donations being made to balance the cost of what was saved by disposing of the material incorrectly.
DJ Laing agreed to make a donation to Monifieth Eco Force of £3,000 and a donation to Brighty Wood Group of £3,000.
A donation of £1,500 to Tealing Primary School and £1,500 to Murroes Primary will allow an education programme on environmental matters to be created at each school.
A voluntary contribution of £5,000 towards costs incurred by Sepa in investigating the offences was also made.
The company has also installed surface water monitoring points at locations agreed with Sepa north and south of East Den and then the implementation of a quarterly water monitoring programme.
The implementation of a staff training programme, with regular toolbox talks, including non-company personnel, are commonplace since the incident.
Rob Morris, Sepa Area Manager, said: “DJ Laing Recycling Solutions Limited offered an Enforcement Undertaking after depositing and disposing of waste in East Den, Tealing, Dundee, without a waste management licence between September 2016 and 20 January 2017. “Sepa has accepted the Enforcement Undertaking which includes a voluntary contribution of £5,000 towards Sepa costs incurred in investigating this offence and considering the Enforcement Undertaking. We are pleased with the actions the operator has taken to resolve this issue. We will continue to respond robustly when there is a failure to comply with environmental controls in order to safeguard our natural environment.”
