New agreement to tackle transportation of illegal waste

The Environment Agency and Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) have agreed to carry out joint operations across England to cut the transportation of illegal waste and improve road safety.

The memorandum of understanding will see the Environment Agency and DVSA using their powers to tackle the transportation of waste to illegal or poorly-performing permitted sites.

The agreement will involve: DVSA staff located within EA teams to ensure a coordinated and effective approach; sharing of information to increase the effectiveness of roadside enforcement on waste industry vehicles up and down the country; providing enforcement teams with intelligence relating to waste industry operators; identifying high risk or illegal goods vehicle operators involved in waste transport; and reducing the number of seriously and serially non-compliant waste industry vehicles on England’s roads.

This agreement will enable the two organisations to tackle waste crime more efficiently by intervening earlier in the waste chain and using prevention tactics.

James Bevan, chief executive, Environment Agency, said: “We want to protect people and communities from the impact that vehicle and waste crime can have and create a level playing field for all operators.

“This Memorandum of Understanding with the DVSA will help both organisations work with the waste industry to improve compliance and vehicle and driver safety standards.

“To help us with this, we are encouraging people to check with the Environment Agency if the company they are employing to take their waste away is a fully registered waste carrier.”

Gareth Llewellyn, DVSA’s chief executive, said: “DVSA priority is to protect you from unsafe drivers and vehicles. I am delighted that we will be working with the Environment Agency to tackle those who illegally transport waste. By combining our enforcement powers and intelligence we’ll be able work with those who break the rules more effectively.

“DVSA traffic examiners will issue fines to those waste carriers we find to be operating in and unsafe manner. These operators are putting themselves and other road users at risk and pose a danger to our environment.”