Caerwent rubbish pile clean up begins (From South Wales Argus)

Big rubbish pile clean up begins in Monmouthshire

9:50am Friday 1st March 2013 in News

WORK has started on removing part of a huge pile of food waste left at a site in Gwent that officials are worried could harm the environment.

The Environment Agency Wales said it is moving between 3-4,000 tonnes of waste of 20,000 tonnes of waste left by a waste management firm at on a site previously used by a Monmouthshire waste management company.

Two people are currently on police bail while an investigation into operations at the site continues.

The agency yesterday did not confirm which company ran the site.

However the Argus previously reported that Wormtech of Caerwent had left a 20,000-tonne pile of waste after it went out of business last year.

At the time director Jackie Powell said the firm had run out of money after its permit to operate was suspended by the agency.

The 3-4,000 tonnes of waste is considered to pose the greatest risk of pollution on the site.

The waste consists of untreated and partly treated food waste, according to the agency.

It is currently contained within buildings at the facility, but if left could pose a pollution risk to nearby watercourses.

The agency said the waste will be removed from the site and disposed of at licensed facilities elsewhere.

A spokeswoman for the agency said: "On this occasion, we're stepping in and taking action at this site in order to protect local people and the environment.

"Our investigations are continuing and we are currently considering what enforcement action we will take against the company."

The agency's investigation into operations at the site is currently ongoing. It said a 47 year old man and a 51-year-old woman were arrested in December last year following raids by Environment Agency Wales and South Wales Police.

The individuals have been bailed and are due to return back to a police station in March.