"Largest ever" fine for illegal waste activities

Cleansing Services Group Ltd (CSG) has been fined £250,000 and ordered to pay £400,000 costs for breaches of environmental and health and safety regulations involving fires and radioactive and other hazardous wastes.

The fine relates to offences at its sites at Sandhurst, Gloucestershire and Exhall, Coventry. The Environment Agency says the fine is the largest to follow any case regarding illegal waste activities.

Mark Harris, counsel for the Environment Agency and the HSE, told the court that "the company's conduct fell well below the applicable standard and that the range and extent of offences admitted by the company demonstrated ingrained and fundamental management failings".

The court was told about a fire at one facility that endangered the community, the illegal burial of hazardous waste, and the illegal receipt or radioactive waste and loss of control of wastes. Judge Tabor said: "There were clear, serious failures of management in a number of key areas. The company failed to adequately protect their own workers and local residents."