Company and director found guilty of illegally trading catalytic converters
Platinum Group Metals Recycling Ltd and its director have been found guilty of illegally trading in catalytic convertors.
Between December 2019 and September 2021, the man acted as a director of Platinum Group Metals Recycling Ltd. It was through this company that he traded catalytic converters on a large scale.
Catalytic converters are components in car exhausts. They contain small amounts of precious metals contained within a metal case making them valuable. However, catalytic converters also contain carcinogenic fibres which, if ingested, can cause serious and irreversible lung disease. The dangerous fibres can attach to shoes and clothing and be transported from one place to another. It is therefore extremely important that catalytic converters are handled only under the strict conditions of an environmental permit.
The jury heard that neither the director nor his company had obtained an environmental permit before buying and selling thousands of catalytic converters. The director stored the containers at his home address and at containers at premises in Long Sutton. The devices were stored in an irresponsible manner, giving rise to an unacceptable risk to human health.
An Environment Agency investigation found that at least 71 tonnes of catalytic converters had been sold for recycling. Further investigations revealed that the business had turned over millions of pounds. A warrant was executed at the two premises, where Environment Agency officers, working with Lincolnshire Police, found a large number of catalytic converters. Many of these devices were damaged, exposing their dangerous innards.
The director failed to attend a trial at Lincoln Crown Court on his own behalf or that of his company.
Breaches
Platinum Group Metals Recycling Ltd was charged with the following offences:
The director was also charged with the above offences, by virtue of Regulation 41(1) and Regulation 41(3) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 and Section 157(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Penalty
The case has now been adjourned for consideration of the confiscation of the proceeds of crime and the recovery of the Environment Agency’s costs.
The director and Platinum Group Metals Recycling Ltd will be sentenced at a later date. A warrant has been issued for the arrest of the director.
Man fined for obstructing Environment Agency officers
The Environment Agency has successfully prosecuted a man for obstructing officers at a site near Alfreton in Derbyshire.
In August 2023, Environment Agency officers received information that waste was being tipped on land at Golden Valley Equestrian Centre, in Golden Valley near Alfreton. On 11 August 2023, an unmarked 8-wheel tipper lorry that had deposited waste on the site failed to stop when instructed by an Environment Agency officer. The man had told the driver not to stop and to drive past the officer.
During the same visit, the man also refused to permit excavators which were present at Golden Valley Equestrian Centre to scrape back top layers of soil to examine what had been deposited beneath. The man also refused to provide waste transfer notes for waste which had been brought onto site when requested.
On 16 August 2023, the Environment Agency officers returned to Golden Valley Equestrian Centre, at the man’s invitation, to conduct a follow up inspection. During this visit, officers considered they needed to visit a neighbouring site also owned by the man. After some resistance to this by the man, the officers visited that site. At the neighbouring site, the man again obstructed officers. He refused to provide waste transfer notes or delivery tickets relating to piles of sand containing shredded tyre rubber which were present.
During both visits the man was extremely abusive and hostile towards the officers. On the second visit his behaviour was captured on body worn video, which was played in court. In mitigation, the man said that he recognised that his behaviour on the two dates was unacceptable.
Breaches
The man received two charges relating to Section 110(1) and Section 110(4)(b) of the Environment Act 1995:
- Section 110(1) makes it an offence for a person to intentionally to obstruct an authorised person in the exercise or performance of his powers or duties.
- Section 110(4)(b) makes persons guilty of an offence under Section 110(1) liable to a fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or to both, where convicted on indictment.
The case against the driver of a lorry which had failed to stop for officers was withdrawn.
Penalties
The man was fined a total of £1,866 for the two obstruction offences, plus a victim surcharge of £373 and Environment Agency costs of £11,272.
Company and its director sentenced for illegal waste disposal and illegal asbestos site operations
PDM Industries Ltd and its director have been sentenced for illegal waste offences
An Environment Agency investigation concerned operations at two sites in the Northwest of Preston: Stanley Lodge Farm and a yard adjacent to Wards House Farm. PDM Industries Ltd disposed of controlled waste, specifically tyres, at Stanley Lodge Farm without obtaining the required environmental permits.
Although the Environment Agency instructed PDM Industries Ltd to transfer the waste to a legally permitted facility, the director opted to illegally bury the waste tyres.
Between 31 December 2016 and 15 February 2023, PDM Industries Ltd also operated a facility handling asbestos without authorisation by an environmental permit at the yard next to Wards House Farm. Expert testimony provided during the court case highlighted the controls that should have been in place at the site dealing with asbestos. The inadequate storage conditions posed significant risks to the environment due to the improper containment of harmful asbestos fibres.
The director and PDM Industries Ltd acknowledged the offences and cooperated with the Environment Agency investigation. The tyres were later removed from Stanley Lodge Farm, along with the asbestos waste from the yard next to Wards House Farm.
Penalty
PDM Industries received fines and costs totalling £60,046.
The director received a 42-week prison sentence (suspended for 18 months) and 200 hours of unpaid community work for his involvement in the offences.
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