SEPA probing illegal dumping of waste in Johnstone

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The illegal dumping of a huge amount of waste in Johnstone is being probed by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).SEPA officers joined Police Scotland, Revenue Scotland and HMRC on Tuesday, February 21 for a Day of Action, carrying out inspections in the area and appealing to local residents and businesses to report instances of illegal dumping or suspected activity to help shape the ongoing investigation.John Higgins, senior enforcement Operations Manager at SEPA, said: “We’re asking members of the public to be vigilant and report anything suspicious to us.

This could be unusual vehicle movement or activity at unused sites.“Landowners should also be alert to the risk of their land or premises being used for illegal waste deposits.“Not only does waste crime have a serious impact on the environment, communities and legitimate businesses, but it also costs taxpayers tens of millions of pounds a year for clean-ups, avoided tax and lost revenue.“Criminals involved are resourceful, inventive and will find new ways to break the law – especially when money is involved.

But SEPA will continue to adapt as well, working closely with other agencies.“We’re also making increased use of technologies to detect criminal activity and build the most accurate picture possible.”Renfrewshire Live, the new free app dedicated to bringing you around the clock breaking news, is now available to download.Powered by the Paisley Daily Express, Renfrewshire Live is your go-to source for news, features and sport with live coverage provided direct to the app, seven days a week.The dedicated team of experienced journalists, responsible for the publication of the award-winning Express, will focus on breaking news, day and night, across