Two men have been detained as an element of an probe into the tipping of many thousands of tons of refuse in a field in Oxfordshire, England.
Authorities stated that a man in his late sixties was detained at a residence in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in Slough in connection with the massive pile of garbage dumped near Kidlington.
These arrests follow a previous investigation which exposed the presence of in excess of 500 unauthorized sites throughout England, including at least 11 so-called "large-scale sites" bigger than 20,000 tons.
A spokeswoman for the environment authorities said that the arrests were for environment-related and proceeds of crime offences and represented a "vital step" in ongoing investigations. Both men have been released on bail.
Scale of the Issue
The dump in near Kidlington, positioned between the river Cherwell and the A34, is estimated to house approximately 21,000 tons of refuse in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) in height.
This pile of waste is composed of what looks to be treated domestic waste, chopped up plastic materials, Styrofoam, tyres and various domestic objects.
It represents just one example of 517 unauthorized dumps across England, at minimum 11 of which contain more than 20,000 tons of rubbish. They include a 280,000-tonne site in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne tip in the county of Kent.
The total number of such larger dumps is likely to be higher, as the regulatory authority has previously stated it does not hold records on tonnage for every unauthorized site.
A large proportion of such locations are in agricultural locations, typically out of sight, and on land that is intended to be farm ground.
Organized Operations
Law enforcement say a significant number are managed by organized crime groups, who are earning money by asking for far less than lawful operators to take and dispose of garbage.
Companies have to incur site fees to use legitimate waste facilities, contingent on the volume and category of waste they are trying to discard, and landfill tax is also applied at just over £126 per tonne.
Public Anger
Preparatory efforts to clean up the Kidlington area site began earlier this month following concerns over the risk of fire and the effect that would have on the adjacent major road.
A contracted clean-up company has been awarded the job to deal with the area over the following 12 months at a price of £9.6m.
An compliance official for the country's regulatory unit commented that the agency would be looking to claim back the remediation expenses under proceeds of crime acts from any party ultimately prosecuted at the end of its ongoing investigation.
She added that the recent apprehensions would help "drive the probe forward" and permit authorities to "follow more leads to ascertain exactly what transpired and who was a party to it".
"This illegal site at the site was an shocking and calculated affront on our environment and the authorities empathize with the local frustration at this terrible act," she stated.
A cabinet representative supported the detentions, adding: "The unauthorized dumping of waste at Kidlington is utterly appalling and has resulted in substantial detriment to the environment and distress to the nearby community.
"The government is pledged to eliminating this kind of criminality throughout the nation, by augmenting resources to combat illegal dumping, recruiting more officers and enacting tougher measures and fines for those who flout the law."
The arrests were made on a recent Thursday by personnel from a dedicated organised crime team and follow an earlier apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area region in November. He was let go subject to more inquiries.
