SEPA spots the waste problem

Shetland Amenity Trust was one waste organisation checked twice by SEPA during the last series of spot checks, carried out as part of a Shetland anti-litter campaign. Mick Clifton of the Trust said: “We see lots of bruck by roadsides that has obviously fallen or blown off trucks. Each and every transporter of waste has a responsibility to ensure that their load is safe and secure. We carry about 1,300 tonnes of waste each year and fully support this latest campaign to ensure waste carriers are properly licensed, that their cargo is secure and that they stick to the law.”

The Scottish Agency also reports the conviction of Dundas Brothers Ltd of Kintore for failing to comply with environmental legislation. At Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday the company, which processes livestock industry by-products, was fined £20,000 for charges relating to enforcement notices served by SEPA. Despite public complaints of offensive odours from their site, Dundas Brothers Ltd failed to comply with notices to tackle the problem.

Stewart Mitchell of SEPA’s Aberdeen office said: “This site has been a significant concern for some time. We will continue to work with the company to improve the situation, but as this case shows we will not hesitate to take strong enforcement action if we are not satisfied with the progress.”

Kintore News reports that Dundas Brothers have applied for an energy-from-waste plant to thermally process abattoir waste. The processing would sterilise the waste while generating electricity to drive the plant, reducing the amount of waste and odours associated with the company’s existing plant.

Dundas Brothers were unavailable for comment.