"The top drawer cadre of joystick jockeys will "track down illegal dumps from the air," the Environment Agency said, as part of a "major crackdown on waste crime." Some of the drones will be upgraded with laser mapping technology, including LIDAR, the EA said, while the agency will also deploy "a new screening tool that enables EA officers to scan and cross-check lorry license applications against waste permit records." This means suspect operators will be flagged "before they have a chance to move waste illegally.""
"From the government's point of view, illegal fly tipping and dumping is now in the realms of organized crime. The government is increasing the Environment Agency's enforcement budget by half to more than £15.6 million. The motivation is often to avoid landfill charges, and criminals can make as much as £2,500 per lorry load of waste by billing customers for legal landfill, then diverting it to illegal dumps."
""With organized criminals becoming ever more sophisticated, we are adopting new technologies to find and, importantly, stop them," said Phil Davies, Head of the Joint Unit for Waste Crime. Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said, "From advanced laser-mapping to drone surveillance and new vehicle-scanning tools, this technology is helping us track, expose and stop waste crime, ensuring those who blight our communities are held to account.""
An elite squad of drone operators will track illegal dumps from the air, supported by upgraded drones with laser-mapping technology including LIDAR. A new screening tool will enable cross-checking of lorry licence applications against waste permit records so suspect operators can be flagged before illegally moving waste. The government treats illegal fly-tipping and dumping as organised crime and has increased the Environment Agency's enforcement budget by 50% to over £15.6 million. The main motive is avoiding landfill charges, with criminals able to earn up to £2,500 per lorry by diverting billed waste to illegal dumps. Recent legal actions include large confiscation orders and suspended sentences in major cases.
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