A man from south Wales has been convicted for waste offences after pleading guilty to illegally depositing waste at three separate sites across Wales, following an investigation by Natural Resources Wales (NRW). Stephen Williams, from Bridgend, was the sole company director for two waste removal companies, Wenvoe Environmental Limited and Servmax Limited. NRW stated that some of the waste sites were deemed a “high fire risk” by the fire service.
Williams pleaded guilty to depositing controlled waste through the companies without an environmental permit at sites in Caerphilly, Cowbridge, and Dolgellau between October 2018 and October 2019 at Cardiff Crown Court in February last year. Charges against Williams and the companies involved offences such as operating a waste site without a permit and depositing mixed and contaminated bales of textile waste.
At one site in Pen Yr Heol Las Farm, Caerphilly, officers found large amounts of baled waste textiles contaminated with general waste. Despite being instructed not to deposit any further material, Williams continued to do so, leading to a high fire risk as determined by the Fire and Rescue Service. Legal notices were issued for removal of the waste, which Williams failed to comply with.
Further charges were related to the receipt and storage of contaminated textile waste at a unit in Cowbridge and waste depositing in Dolgellau. Williams failed to comply with legal notices to remove the waste, resulting in the landowners incurring significant costs to clear the sites.
Williams appeared at Cardiff Crown Court where the Judge deferred sentencing to set a Proceeds of Crime Application timetable for potential recovery of monies from Williams to clear the sites and reimburse affected landowners. Su Fernandez, Senior Enforcement Officer for NRW, emphasized the importance of complying with environmental regulations to prevent risks to the environment and human health.
The sentencing for Williams will occur at a later date to address the illegal waste dumping incidents and their consequences across various sites in Wales. Natural Resources Wales reiterated their commitment to addressing illegal waste disposal activities seriously to safeguard the environment and support legitimate operators in the waste management sector.