Hauliers in Devon and Cornwall will be asked for more detail on how they deal with waste soils.
Environment Agency officers are contacting hauliers to ensure that the strict rules are complied with as waste soils can often contain hazardous chemicals that have sometimes ended up being dumped on land or hidden in landscaping or construction projects.
The vast majority of businesses operate within the regulations by having registered a U1 exemption, allowing the limited use of specific types and quantities of clean waste materials in construction.
However, detailed Environment Agency investigations, in partnership with other professional agencies, have revealed recent cases where unscrupulous criminals have attempted to profit by illegally dumping waste and causing environmental harm to their communities.
Sue Smillie of the Environment Agency said:
Whilst most hauliers and companies that handle waste soils operate within the laws designed to protect the environment, we have seen a rise in illegal dumping of hazardous soils and construction waste.
After compiling information on specific sites and networks, we are now requesting
