Mass illegal dumping in Kent beauty spot could take a year to clean up
An ancient woodland used by criminals as a dumping ground for 30,000 tonnes of illegal waste could take a year to clean up.
Contractors set to clear Hoad's Wood near Ashford say the environmental impact of the damage caused will last even longer.
The Environment Agency began a criminal investigation last year after household and construction waste, piled 15 feet high in places, was discovered.
Investigators say gangs of organised criminals are behind how the debris and aggregate got there.
A specialist company has been employed to remove the waste to help the woodland return to the green thicket it once was.
Acumen Waste Services Ltd will work with the Environment Agency to remove the waste from the affected two acres of the 200-acre wood.
It has to be tested first for potential hazards before it can be disposed of at authorised sites.
Matt Higginson, environment manager for the Environment Agency in Kent, said:
“Criminals took advantage of the public who believed them to be legitimate operators taking their waste away legally. But they were anything but lawful, making money from it, then shamelessly dumping it in a protected woodland. It became someone else’s problem to clear up."
“We are determined the criminals will answer for their actions in court. Our investigation to find and prosecute those responsible continues. The Environment Agency plans to retrieve the costs of clearing Hoads Wood from those who spoiled the area. It should not be the taxpayer picking up the bill," said Mr Higginson.
“The waste will be tested to determine potential hazards before it is taken away. I want the waste removed as quickly as possible, but it has to be done without further harm to the local environment as a whole or the staff involved.”
The Environment Agency secured a court order in January, banning unauthorised access to the woodland and to successfully stop more waste being dumped.
Alongside the criminal investigation, which includes other illegal waste sites in Kent and beyond, the Environment Agency has monitored the site for any effect on air or water quality and will continue to do so throughout the clearance.
Landfill and hydrogen sulphide gases have been frequently detected on the site and, at times, outside the area dominated by the waste.
The Environment Agency say monitoring of the nearby River Beult so far hasn’t shown a significant and lasting effect on water quality.
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