Waste crime crackdown in Borehamwood
Lorries and vans checked for correct documents.
A driver told to get the right paperwork for disposing of his construction waste
The drivers or operators of almost 90% of commercial vehicles stopped during a recent check in Hertfordshire have been reminded of the law on carrying waste.
Some 33 van and lorry drivers were stopped at Borehamwood in the latest series of inspections on their vehicles and paperwork.
Half a dozen drivers had missing or incomplete documents, and will be investigated by Environment Agency officers, while letters will be sent to another 23 as a general reminder to register if they want to transport waste.
Any van or lorry moving waste commercially should be registered by law to ensure it is disposed of correctly, or be subject to further action by the Environment Agency.
The checks took place in the car park of Morrisons in Borehamwood, with environment officers joined by colleagues from Hertfordshire Police, Hertsmere Council and the Driver Vehicle and Standards Agency.
The inspections were designed to disrupt waste crime, and prevent dangerous vehicles from being on the road.
Hannah Wooldridge, a senior technical officer for Environment Agency in Hertfordshire, said:
The results from our latest checks on lorries and vans in Hertfordshire prove the worth of finding out if drivers and operators are working within the law when carrying waste on board.
We want to make it very clear to people that everyone has a duty of care to ensure their waste is managed and disposed of correctly by the people who take it away.
You risk a £5,000 fine if you use illegal waste carriers to remove your rubbish. You need to check they are a registered waste carrier with the Environment Agency, and provide you with a waste transfer note saying where they are taking the waste.
Mick Cheeseman, a traffic enforcement manager for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, said:
DVSA’s priority is to protect everyone from unsafe drivers and vehicles.
There’s no excuse for driving with mechanical defects or with an overweight or insecure load. Those on Hertfordshire’s roads who break the rules are putting themselves and others at risk.
Working alongside our colleagues in the Environment Agency, we’ll crack down on rogue drivers and operators, making Hertfordshire’s roads safer for all.
These latest checks at the roadside follow a similar series of inspections in Broxbourne in August when a lorry driver carrying scrap metal without the required registration documents saw his vehicle taken off the road by the DVSA.
People or businesses who transport, buy, sell or dispose of waste, or arrange for someone else to do so, must be registered. To register please visit GOV.UK.
To check if someone is registered, please visit GOV.UK.