Oswaldtwistle flies plague: Tippers may be facing action (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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Oswaldtwistle flies plague: Tippers may be facing action
12:30pm Tuesday 21st August 2012 in News
By Jessica Cree, Education reporter
THE Environment Agency is to look into enforcement action after clearing 4,000 bales of illegally tipped waste caused a ‘plague of flies’ in Oswaldtwistle.
The organisation has been working with Hyndburn Council, Lancashire County Council, Blakeley’s Waste Management and the land-owners to make sure all of the rubbish and accompanying flies have been removed.
An investigation has now been launched into how the waste came to be on the NIPA Laboratories site, in Nook Lane.
Steve Molyneux, environment manager for the Environment Agency in Lancashire, said: “We are satisfied that works to remove the waste at Nook Lane have been completed.
“We are confident that all the bales that have been removed contain only household, commercial waste.
“This is a complex investigation, consequently, we have a team of officers working on this as a priority.
“Once we understand the full picture, we will look at what enforcement action is appropriate for us to take against those involved.
“For legal reasons we cannot give more details out at this stage. However, once we have concluded our investigations and know what our enforcement action will be, we will update the local community.
“Chairman of the Oswaldtwistle Area council, Coun Peter Britcliffe said residents in the town still have a lot of unanswered questions about the recent nightmare.
He said: “We still have a lot of questions that need answering and as the chairman of the local area council I am inviting representatives from the Environment Agency, County Council and Hyndburn Council’s Environmental department to come along to our next meeting on November 7 at the Civic theatre in Oswaldtwistle and address these questions.
“Although it is great that the rubbish and flies have been removed we want to know how this was able to happen in the first place.”
Comments(5)
trout fisher
says...
4:25pm Tue 21 Aug 12
joobyboo
says...
11:53am Wed 22 Aug 12
jogalot wrote:This site need to be sealed off properly and the sooner the better! Local council and EA say they are working with the owner to get this done.....IT NEEDS DOING NOW! ....before there is a serious accident, kids are off school and when i was up there last night 3 kids were hanging around the site not on it but just outside the gates. There are no danger/warning signs and NO SECURITY on site, its disgusting!
Well done to the person or persons who got the rubbish cleared. I hope you can now take appropriate enforcement action.
.
The owners are the problem, from my perspective as someone who jogs around this area now and then. The site was completely open to anyone walking in and even driving in for many periods. I very rarely saw security at the place. It was an invitation to vandals, arsonists, thieves, travellers, fly tippers and tippers of flies. OK, those people should know better but that is what some people do so the owners are guilty of encouraging it, imho. AFAIK, there are all kinds of chemicals and nasty things stored under the concrete slabs, many with access through gaps and vents to them. The open access was very irresponsible of the owners because children who don't know better would find this a great adventure. The two buildings and garages burned down were probably great fun for children (but I have no idea who burned them down, if it was children or not).
.
This is a dangerous site surrounded by a lovely nature reserve. I think the enforcement action should definitely include the owners making it totally safe, if possible. If that is not possible there should be 24 hour security and proper warning signs, fencing, gates etc.
.
I hope the fluorescent testing was successful in finding where there are chemical leaks. The smell of disinfectant or bleach was strong at the nearby lodge as well as Lottice brook recently, so something is seeping out somewhere. There are only a few ducks this year, there were hundreds last year.
If you take a look on facebook page "ossy flies meeting group" you will see just what DANGER there is up there.....
Action needs to be taken now!
mrscharitysweet
says...
12:55pm Wed 22 Aug 12
mrscharitysweet
says...
2:08pm Wed 22 Aug 12
jogalot says...
2:10pm Tue 21 Aug 12
.
The owners are the problem, from my perspective as someone who jogs around this area now and then. The site was completely open to anyone walking in and even driving in for many periods. I very rarely saw security at the place. It was an invitation to vandals, arsonists, thieves, travellers, fly tippers and tippers of flies. OK, those people should know better but that is what some people do so the owners are guilty of encouraging it, imho. AFAIK, there are all kinds of chemicals and nasty things stored under the concrete slabs, many with access through gaps and vents to them. The open access was very irresponsible of the owners because children who don't know better would find this a great adventure. The two buildings and garages burned down were probably great fun for children (but I have no idea who burned them down, if it was children or not).
.
This is a dangerous site surrounded by a lovely nature reserve. I think the enforcement action should definitely include the owners making it totally safe, if possible. If that is not possible there should be 24 hour security and proper warning signs, fencing, gates etc.
.
I hope the fluorescent testing was successful in finding where there are chemical leaks. The smell of disinfectant or bleach was strong at the nearby lodge as well as Lottice brook recently, so something is seeping out somewhere. There are only a few ducks this year, there were hundreds last year.