Arrests Made in Connection to Supersized Unlawful Waste Site

A pair of individuals have been arrested as an element of an investigation into the illegal deposit of thousands of metric tons of refuse in a open field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Authorities reported that a man in his late sixties was detained at a dwelling in Hampshire's Andover, while a man in his fifties was arrested in Slough, Berkshire in relation with the huge mound of garbage tipped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These apprehensions come after a previous investigation which uncovered the presence of in excess of 500 illegal tips in England, featuring at least 11 so-called "large-scale sites" greater than 20,000 metric tons.

A official for the environmental body said that the detentions were for environmental and proceeds of crime offences and were a "vital step" in ongoing investigations. The two individuals have been released on conditional release.

Magnitude of the Problem

The dump in Kidlington, located between the river Cherwell and the A34, is estimated to house approximately 21,000 tons of rubbish in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) high.

This heap of waste is composed of what seems to be sorted residential refuse, shredded plastics, Styrofoam, automobile tires and various household articles.

It constitutes just one of 517 unlawful tips throughout England, at minimum 11 of which hold over 20,000 tonnes of waste. These feature a 280,000-tonne location in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in the county of Kent.

The total amount of such larger locations is expected to be greater, as the regulatory agency has previously stated it does not possess information on volume for every unlawful site.

A large proportion of such locations are in agricultural areas, typically out of sight, and on land that is intended to be farm land.

Criminal Activity

Authorities state a significant number are run by criminal organizations, who are earning money by asking for significantly less than legitimate companies to receive and landfill waste.

Businesses have to be liable for disposal fees to use lawful landfill sites, contingent on the volume and type of material they are trying to discard, and a disposal levy is also levied at just over £126 per ton.

Community Frustration

Initial efforts to clean up the affected location started in recent weeks amid concerns over the potential of fire and the consequences that would have on the adjacent A-road.

A contracted waste clearance company has been granted the contract to deal with the site over the coming 12 months period at a cost of £9.6m.

An compliance manager for the country's environment team stated that the body would be looking to claim back the remediation funds under asset recovery acts from anyone ultimately prosecuted at the termination of its ongoing inquiry.

She further stated that these arrests would help "push the investigation forward" and allow the agency to "pursue more avenues to understand exactly what occurred and who was implicated".

"The unlawful tip at Kidlington was an atrocious and calculated attack on our environment and we empathize with the local anger at this terrible act," she remarked.

A cabinet minister praised the actions, adding: "The unlawful tipping of rubbish at this location is appalling and has caused significant harm to the natural world and upset to the surrounding residents.

"The administration is pledged to eliminating this type of criminality in the nation, by augmenting resources to address waste crime, recruiting more officers and introducing more severe measures and sanctions for those who break the regulations."

The apprehensions were carried out on the specified day by agents from a regional crime unit and are in addition to an prior arrest of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area in November. He was let go subject to additional investigations.