The Environment Agency is investigating a fire near an industrial estate in Nottinghamshire that took firefighters more than a week to extinguish.
The fire broke out in the vicinity of the Hathernware Industrial Estate, Sutton Bonington, on 15 April.
At its height, 13 fire engines from Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire attended the blaze, which involved large quantities of industrial waste, as well as buildings, timber and trailers.
Firefighting operations ended 10 days after the fire was reported, and a spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “Communities should not have to tolerate pollution.”
“We are investigating the circumstances surrounding the fire at Hathernware Industrial Estate and will not hesitate to take regulatory or enforcement action where appropriate,” the spokesperson added.
The organisation said part of its investigation would focus on whether the fire happened at the estate or on land adjacent to it.
Rushcliffe Borough Council said agencies were aware this was the second fire in the area over the past eight years.
The Environment Agency said it was aware of previous incidents and that its investigations could be lengthy and complex.
The agency uses its statutory powers to investigate alleged waste offences.
The council said “planning matters” were being investigated, while it is the responsibility of the tenants to dispose of waste in accordance with Environment Agency guidance.
James Naish, Labour MP for Rushcliffe, said residents felt their “voices weren’t being heard” and that their “concerns weren’t being taken as seriously as they would like.”
Naish said the “biggest concern” was about air quality and contamination.
He said: “Firstly, there [are] questions about how this was allowed to happen again.
“There was a fire previously and several residents alluded to the fact that concerns were raised not only back in 2018 but since then about the potential risk of this, so that has been one group of concerns.
“The second is about the incident itself and how it was managed, some of the messaging that came from the authorities and how clear that was and whether people were feeling that their health conditions in particular were being respected.
“Then the third group of concerns are about what happens next?
“What level of monitoring will there be moving forward and to what extent can local people be confident with it having happened twice, that it won’t happen again?”
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