A pair of individuals have been taken into custody as part of an investigation into the dumping of several thousand of tons of waste in a open field in the county of Oxfordshire.
Law enforcement stated that a 69-year-old was arrested at a property in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was detained in the town of Slough in connection with the enormous pile of waste dumped near the area of Kidlington.
These apprehensions occur a week after a previous report which revealed the existence of more than 500 illegal dumps across England, featuring at a minimum of 11 so-called "super sites" greater than 20,000 tonnes.
A spokeswoman for the regulatory authorities said that the apprehensions were for environmental and proceeds of crime crimes and constituted a "vital step" in active investigations. The apprehended men have been let go on bail.
Magnitude of the Problem
The illegal site in near Kidlington, located between the Cherwell River and the A34 road, is estimated to hold approximately 21,000 tons of waste in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) tall.
This pile of waste is made up of what looks to be processed household waste, chopped up plastic items, polystyrene, tires and various everyday items.
It represents just one of 517 unauthorized sites throughout England, at minimum 11 of which hold more than 20,000 tonnes of waste. They feature a 280,000-tonne site in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire county and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne site in the county of Kent.
The total figure of such bigger locations is probably to be greater, as the environmental authority has previously stated it does not possess data on volume for every unauthorized site.
Most sites are in agricultural locations, frequently out of sight, and on land that is zoned as agricultural land.
Criminal Enterprise
Law enforcement say numerous are run by criminal organizations, who are generating profit by charging significantly less than licensed operators to take and landfill waste.
Businesses have to be liable for disposal fees to use licensed disposal sites, depending on the volume and type of refuse they are trying to dispose of, and a disposal levy is also charged at just over £126 per ton.
Local Anger
Initial operations to remove the Kidlington area dump started in recent weeks due to worries over the threat of blaze and the impact that would have on the close-by major road.
A contracted waste clearance contractor has been granted the contract to deal with the area over the following 12 months period at a cost of £9.6m.
An enforcement official for the country's regulatory division stated that the agency would be looking to claim back the clean-up funds under proceeds of crime laws from anyone successfully found guilty at the end of its ongoing inquiry.
She added that this week's apprehensions would help "push the investigation forward" and enable authorities to "pursue more avenues to understand in detail what transpired and who was implicated".
"This unauthorized tip at Kidlington was an atrocious and intentional assault on our environment and we understand the community's frustration at this egregious crime," she remarked.
A government representative supported the actions, stating: "This unlawful tipping of waste at this location is utterly appalling and has caused significant damage to the environment and upset to the surrounding community.
"The government is committed to stamping out this type of criminality across the country, by augmenting resources to combat waste crime, recruiting more personnel and implementing stricter measures and sanctions for those who flout the rules."
The arrests were made on Thursday by officers from a dedicated organised crime team and are in addition to an prior detention of a 39-year-old from the Surrey region in the autumn. He was set free awaiting more enquiries.
