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20 Dec 2002
Friends of the Earth today urged the Government to take action after
the Environment Agency revealed that more than half of the 2,264 landfill
sites in England and Wales are failing to comply with waste management
licence conditions. The Agency revealed that:
14 per cent are nowhere near compliance.
Friends of the Earth’s Waste campaigner Mike Childs said:
“Communities living near landfills
won’t be surprised to hear that most
sites in England and Wales are failing to meet their licence
conditions. Many already suffer the misery of smell, noise and
pollution on a daily basis. The Government must do more
to protect the public from poorly managed landfills by
providing the Environment Agency with the resources
it needs to force these sites to comply with the rules.
Those that fail should be heavily fined.
“The Government must also do more to ensure that less
of the world’s diminishing natural resources are
dumped in holes in the ground and far more gets recycled. It
can do this by supporting Joan Ruddock’s Private Member’s
Bill which aims to ensure that every household has access to a doorstep
recycling service. The Doorstep Recycling Bill will be discussed in
Parliament early next year. “
A Friends of the Earth report, Communities
Speak Out on Waste, tells of the nightmare of living next door
to poorly-controlled landfills and their fears of incinerators being
built in their neighbourhoods.
Contact details:
Friends of the Earth
26-28 Underwood St.
LONDON
N1 7JQ
Tel: 020 7490 1555
Fax: 020 7490 0881
Web: www.foe.co.uk/feedback.html
Media team
