Biffa Waste Services Ltd has this week been fined £90,000, with costs of £26,949, after admitting to a host of pollution charges.
The waste company, which runs the Houghton landfill waste management site in Sunderland, pleaded guilty to five offences under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations SI 2010/675. The incidents took place between April 2010 and May 2011, and included breaking the terms of its environmental permit and allowing a foul-smelling liquid (leachate) to run from the rubbish into the water supply.
District Judge Steve Earl said the firm had to be held responsible for the mistakes they had made, although he stressed that the offences were not carried out deliberately. "They are not a company which has deliberately set out to take in money and provide a second-rate service. It was not their intention and it is not what they have done. But there will always be times when they fail." He also stressed there was no evidence that the pollution could have affected drinking water.
Defence barrister Tim Horlock said the company apologised for the offences, although denied claims that they were "dismissive" or "obstructive" to official investigations. "These offences should not have occurred. The fact that they did occur is regrettable and, as a company, it apologises for them. It is genuinely intended and expressed with contrition."
