"Grotesque": Two-storey pile of trash illegally dumped in field
Chief executive Laura Reineke of Charity Friends of the Thames called it “an environmental catastrophe unfolding in plain sight.”
An organized crime group of “fly tippers” — i.e., people or organizations that illegally dump trash in public or private areas — is being blamed for a “grotesque” mountain of trash that has appeared in a field in Oxfordshire, England, The BBC reports.
The giant wasteland is 150 metres long and 6 metres, or about two storeys, high.
Callum Miller, the Liberal Democrat MP for the area, said the cost to remove the trash will exceed the region’s annual budget.
"This is not a licensed waste site, and we can just see the quantity of waste that has been dumped here, that's illegal, so it's criminal," Mr. Miller said via the BBC.
"That's not something that local residents and taxpayers can afford."
According to Miller, criminal gangs are dumping enormous amounts of waste across the UK.
He called for government intervention to remove the Oxfordshire pile before it leeches dangerous pollutants into local waterways. Heat maps suggest the trash is heating up, presenting a fire hazard.
The illegal dump is believed to be about a month old. Chief executive Laura Reineke of Charity Friends of the Thames called it “an environmental catastrophe unfolding in plain sight.”
An investigation is ongoing.
Why is fly tipping a problem in the UK?
Fly tipping relates to the illegal disposal of waste on land without a proper license. It can range from small-scale dumping, like a few bags abandoned on the side of the road, to large-scale industrial waste, according to The Anti Fly-Tipping Association (AFTA).
It can range from small-scale dumping, such as black bin bags left in alleyways, to large-scale tipping of building materials, white goods, or commercial waste in rural areas.
During COVID lockdowns, fly-tipping incidents increased by 300 per cent
According to AFTA, fly tipping persists in the UK due to:
High costs associated with proper disposal
Restrictions on household waste collection
Lack of enforcement
Unlicensed waste removal services that take payment for disposal but then dump trash illegally.
The environmental cost of fly tipping
Illegal fly tipping has numerous negative outcomes, according to AFTA, including environmental degradation, health hazards for local wildlife and nearby residents, decreases in property value, and increasing taxes.