Firm fined £90k over waste fire

A hazardous waste company from Staffordshire has been fined £90,000 after causing a dangerous fire by leaving chemicals that react with water out in the open on a wet day.

Augean Treatment Limited, of Walkmill Lane, Cannock, pleaded guilty to six charges of careless operational practices and failing to act to prevent a recurrence. The Environment Agency said the company had kept waste in a manner likely to cause pollution or harm to human health and breached the Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations.

In September 2006 the Augean site was evacuated when a drum of stored waste caught fire. The blaze spread to adjacent waste containers causing drum lids to be shot from the site as missiles and large clouds of smoke were seen.

Neighbouring premises on the industrial estate, including a children's play centre, had to be evacuated sparking a major operation by emergency services.

An investigation by the Environment Agency found that a drum containing chemicals which react with water had been left open on a wet day.

The agency found further failings in staff training and discovered more chemicals which could spontaneously combust being stored among hundreds of tons of flammable waste.

In November another fire took place at the site and in December the Environment Agency were informed of a further series of incidents which went unreported, including waste spillages and fires.

The company pleaded guilty at Mid Staffordshire Magistrates Court and was fined £90,000 and ordered to pay £8,816.50 in costs.

Iain Storer, from the Environment Agency, said: "The fire incident could have been far more serious had it been a windier day."

He added: "The charges were brought because the site continued to operate below acceptable standards which posed a significant risk of further incidents occurring."

In a statement Augean said the problems had occurred during a change in ownership and new processes had been put in place.