Enviro News Asia, Devon – A years-long Environment Agency investigation into illegal waste dumping at a Devon site has concluded with four convictions, the latest being waste carrier Stephen White, 66, of Broadhempston, Totnes, who was ordered to pay more than £11,000 for his role in depositing hundreds of tonnes of waste near Kingsteignton.
White deposited an estimated 450 to 588 tonnes of waste at the site between June 2019 and October 2021, in violation of environmental permit regulations. He was fined £1,292 and ordered to pay £7,650 in financial benefit, along with the Environment Agency’s legal costs and a victim surcharge, bringing the total to £11,741.
The same site previously resulted in the jailing of landowner Christopher Garrett in 2024 for 32 months, and the fining of waste carriers DTM Grab Hire and David Gorton earlier this year. Thousands of tonnes of mixed construction and demolition waste were found at the premises, with remediation costs estimated at a minimum of £2.5 million.
An Environment Agency spokesperson said the operation demonstrated that waste criminals will face enforcement regardless of the complexity of a case. “This has been a complex operation with multiple defendants, but we are pleased to have now concluded with four successful prosecutions. This action shows that waste criminals will not get away with dumping, and we will take enforcement action against anyone who transports, disposes or stores waste illegally,” the spokesperson said. (*)
