National Highways has completed work to avoid an environmental disaster after fly-tippers dumped potentially hazardous waste, oil and tyres by the side of the A14 close to Peterborough.
The complex clean-up has cost National Highways and the Environment Agency a total of some £500,000 after they battled to protect the waterways and environment at the site near Thrapston.
National Highways Head of Network Planning and Development for the Midlands, Ian Doust, said: “This has been a very complex process battling to contain the spillage, protect the environment and remove all of the contamination whilst ensuring the embankment remains stable.
“What an appalling waste of taxpayers’ money and our time, all of which could be better spent elsewhere on our roads such as repairing potholes. All because someone chose to cut corners, save money, and dump this potentially hazardous material next to the roadside.
“We are working closely with the relevant authorities to help ensure those responsible are held accountable for their actions.”
When the issue was discovered the Environment Agency moved in to prevent the contamination spreading as far as possible by putting booms put in place to contain the oil. Landowners National Highways then started work in February.
Safely removing the waste was a complicated, timely and costly process which saw National Highways: Remove all rubbish that had been dumped including tyres and a mattress, clear the ditch of oil – using a tanker to suck out the liquid, clear sections of vegetation, including contaminated trees, to enable contractors to access the site which is down an embankment and also taking away trees that had been soaking in oil, carry out Waste Acceptance Criteria testing to decide how the waste materials, such as contaminated soil, could be safely disposed of and carry out that disposal, dig out contaminated sections of the embankment whilst ensuring it remained sturdy and stable, clear the culvert which had been polluted by oil Install litter enforcement signs and replace the soil.
Yvonne Daly, Environment Manager for the Environment Agency, said: “This incident highlights the serious impact and cost of illegal waste dumping. Illegal waste disposal harms communities, damages the environment and undermines legitimate waste businesses.
“It can range from visible offences such as fly-tipping to more serious and organised criminal activity. These actions put people at risk, pollute land and water, and create a significant economic burden.
“We will continue to work closely with our partners to investigate incidents such as these and hold those responsible accountable for their actions.
“The Environment Agency is not funded to clear fly-tipping. However, in line with the polluter pays principle, we will always seek to ensure that those responsible for dumping waste ultimately pay for the cost of cleaning it up.”
