Six reckless waste operators have been sentenced to prison and fined after ignoring Environment Agency warnings about fire risks. The fires at their sites raged for days, causing significant environmental damage and distress to local communities in Teesside and Durham.
The offenders were sentenced at Teesside Crown Court on May 20. They were found guilty of multiple environmental offences connected to three fire-affected sites.
At Greenology (Liverton) Ltd, Liverton near Loftus, Laura Hepburn, 44, director, and Jonathan Guy Brudenell, 54, no fixed address, were held responsible for waste storage failures that led to a fire in April 2020.
Selective Environmental Solutions Ltd (SESL) and its director Jonathan Waldron, 42, were found guilty of illegally dumping waste at a farm near Whitby.
At Old Eldon Brickworks, Eldon, Bishop Auckland, Waldron, acting as director of Falcons Two Ltd, ignored enforcement orders which resulted in a major fire in August 2020.
Greenology (Teesside) Ltd in Middlesbrough also faced charges, with Hepburn accused of illegal tyre waste storage between 2021 and 2022.
The sentences handed down were severe: Jonathan Guy Brudenell was jailed for 2 years and 10 months. Laura Hepburn received a 2-year prison sentence suspended, along with 150 hours of community service. Jonathan Waldron was given a 20-month suspended sentence, probation, rehabilitation orders, 150 hours of community work, and ordered to pay £9,000 in costs.
The companies were fined as follows: Greenology (Liverton) Ltd was fined £69,000, Greenology (Teesside) Ltd was fined £20,000, and SESL was fined £14,666.66.
Gary Wallace from the Environment Agency condemned the offenders for the extensive environmental damage and distress caused. He highlighted that the April 2020 Liverton fire and the August 2020 Eldon blaze burned for days, severely disrupting residents, particularly during the lockdown period.
Despite repeated warnings, the defendants failed to manage fire risks properly and attempted to evade prosecution by renaming companies. Hepburn’s false claims regarding a ‘pyrolysis plant’ for tyre waste did not conceal the ongoing hazards.
These harsh penalties reflect the government’s zero tolerance approach to environmental crimes. The court’s message is clear: violating fire safety and waste management laws will result in serious consequences, including imprisonment.
Originally published by UKNIP.
