Scrap metal recycling centre fined £42,000 for permit breaches

A scrap metal recycling centre in Ammanford has been fined £42,000 for failing to comply with conditions in their environmental permit.

Ammanford Recycling Limited was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court on 5 January 2024. They were fined a total of £42,000 and must also pay £4,652.42 in costs and a surcharge of £2,000.

An investigation carried out by NRW in February and March last year, found that an incident had occurred where oil had escaped from the site onto neighbouring land and it was not immediately responded to by the operator.

Remediation

Under its permit the operator is required to immediately implement control and remediation procedures in line with the necessary standards following a potentially polluting leak or spillage on site.

The company also failed to comply with another permit condition to keep waste clearly segregated and identified from wastes being kept on site for exempt waste management operations.

David Ellar, Senior Waste Regulations Team Officer, NRW, said: “Every business in the waste industry must have a permit to move, store or treat waste, and to ensure it is carried out in a way that does not pose risk to the environment or human health.

“This facility was found to be in breach of several conditions within their permit, which was evidently having a negative impact on the surrounding environment.

“Wherever possible, we work with operators to make sure their activities comply with the law, but when a business continues to fail to comply we will take legal action.”