Waste company pays £100k to Nature Recovery Project after fire at site

A West Midlands waste operator has paid £100,000 to a local wildlife project as an Enforcement Undertaking following a fire at one of its sites.

An Enforcement Undertaking is available to the Environment Agency (EA) as an alternative sanction to prosecution or monetary penalty for dealing with certain environmental offences. It is a voluntary offer made by an offender to put right the effects of their offending and put right the impact on third parties.

The waste company, Axil Integrated Services Ltd, admitted failures after an "an intense but short-lived fire" at its Cannock Industrial Centre in September 2022.

The EA revealed that the water used to put out the fire was contaminated, but “was contained on the site and removed”.

Since then, the regulator has worked with the waste operator to agree remedial works.

As part of the agreement, the company has offered £100,000 to a partnership of organisations who deliver local nature projects.

Environment Agency officers said the company had “co-operated fully” following the incident, submitting a full incident report and statements admitting their failures within two days and carrying out repair work.

Graham Aberley, the lead investigator for the Environment Agency, said: “Enforcement Undertakings allow polluters to positively address and restore the harm caused to the environment and prevent repeat incidents.

“The Environment Agency is increasingly using this method of enforcement for suitable cases to restore the environment, improve practices of the offending company and avoid longer criminal court cases. However, we will prosecute in appropriate cases.

“As a result of the Enforcement Undertaking the Environment Agency has decided not to pursue any possible prosecution or other sanction for an environmental offence which may have been committed.”

The money has been donated to the Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country towards their Purple Horizons Nature Recovery Project.

Chloe Hardman, project manager for the Purple Horizons Nature Recovery Project at Natural England, said: “We are glad that this funding is being made available to benefit nature in the area between Cannock Chase and Sutton Park.

“It will make a real difference to our partners at wildlife charities and local councils, who are working to create a healthier environment for nature and people.”

Axil Integrated Services Ltd has been approached for comment.

Lottie Winson