Waste recycling firm fined £345,000 for environmental offences

An Alloa-based recycling firm has been given the highest confiscation order ever in Scotland.

Oran Environment Solutions Ltd received the highest confiscation order value in Scottish history. Image: Steven Scott Taylor

The company received the confiscation order totalling £345,558.43 yesterday for breach of their licence conditions - incorrectly storing and neglecting waste, with the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) receiving complaints from local residents in 2013.

The Proceeds of Crime Act order also accompanied fines amounting to £12,000 for waste-related offences, while OES Ltd was fined for three charges of non-compliance to which they pled guilty today.

SEPA urged the company to remove waste materials from their Kilbagie Mill site and remove controlled waste from land not covered by a Waste Management Licence following enforcement action.

Neither of these demands were met. There were also found to be inadequate pest control measures at the facility.

Executive Director of SEPA Calum MacDonald said: “During the course of inspections in 2013, SEPA officers identified that OES Ltd were using an unlicensed area of their site to store additional waste.

The main site was at capacity and as a result existing stockpiles had begun to be kept out with the boundaries of the licenced site.

The backlog of waste - including cardboard, demolition rubble, miscellaneous household goods and fluids - saw residents complain in 2013 to SEPA that there was an increased presence of vermin, flies and birds at the OES Ltd site.

Given the potential impact on the local environment which the licence breaches posed together with the uncooperative nature of OES Ltd, SEPA referred the case to the Procurator Fiscal for consideration.

No representatives of OES Ltd were available for comment.