No evidence waste mountain has polluted river

2 hours ago

Jamie MorrisSouth of England

A mountain of illegally dumped waste has not harmed a nearby river, the Environment Agency has said.

The pile is up to 490ft (150m) long and 20ft (6m) high and is located on a site between the River Cherwell and the A34 near Kidlington in Oxfordshire.

In a statement the Environment Agency (EA) said specialist officers “found no evidence of pollution after extensive tests of both the waste and the river… work continues to ensure the river and surrounding environment are protected”.

Work to clear the site is to ‘begin imminently’ after a fire risk had been detected, but no official date has been set.

“We are 99% sure what waste is there – mixed commercial and household waste with shredded plastic, paper, wood and cardboard,” the EA said.

At its closest point the waste is only metres away from the nearby river – which sparked concern from the local MP and environmental groups.

The EA said it is “carrying out extensive sampling and testing to determine the substances present”.

“We have no evidence the waste has harmed the River Cherwell,” it added.

Local people reported seeing activity on the site as early as June with the EA first visiting the site in July, issuing a cease and desist order to the landowner.

But activity continued at the site and on 23 October the EA placed a restriction order on the land following court approval.

Following a detected fire risk by fire and rescue services a decision to clear the site had been made, but with no specific date.

The EA said it was “not legally responsible” nor funded for clearing illegal waste but that it expected to fund the clearance efforts “through making efficiencies in its operations, without impacting or scaling back any of its other services”.

It said it may need to strengthen the land around the site so lorries can move safely on and off it and that traffic arrangements may need to be put in place.

You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X, or Instagram.