Business owners face massive fine after illegal scheme exposed in protected area: 'Puts communities at risk'

Two British men convicted of running an illegal waste tire site in Daventry, England, were handed heavy fines by Northampton's Crown Court. In a Proceeds of Crime Judgment, Nimesh Patel and Andrew Eyre were ordered to pay over £313,000 (just over $415,000) to recoup the money made from the illicit operation, as detailed by Lets Recycle.

Peter Sark, the enforcement officer for the Environmental Agency's Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire Area, was quoted by the Northampton Chronicle & Echo as saying, "We're not just content to prosecute those who run illegal waste sites, we'll also come after them to get back the profits they made from their illegal activities."

The offenders' company, Synergy Tyres, had been fined in 2020 after a lengthy investigation. According to authorities, Synergy Tyres' shipping records showed huge shipments of waste tires sent to India, and the company regularly exceeded legal storage limits.

However, that previous brush with the law was not enough to dissuade the two men from re-offending. They will have three months to pay the fine for their latest conviction, or they will face multi-year prison sentences, per the Chronicle & Echo.

The case highlights an important point about the environmental impact of improperly disposing of waste tires. Discarded tires take up a lot of space, and because they don't decompose, most states in the U.S. prohibit their disposal in landfills.

Their presence leads to soil and water contamination, and if left in the sun, they will release methane, a potent planet-warming gas, into the atmosphere. They're also a perfect habitat for disease vectors, such as mosquitoes and rats. If all that wasn't bad enough, they're a major fire hazard and once alight, they're nearly impossible to put out.

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Thankfully, authorities are cracking down on instances of illegal disposal. A Milwaukee man was similarly fined for repeatedly dumping thousands of tires in a vacant lot illegally, and a Florida man was arrested while doing the same.

Most tires — around 90% — are recycled. Typical uses include fuel conversion for industry, rubber surfaces like athletic tracks and playgrounds, and new tires. The recycling process is complicated and should only be undertaken by licensed professionals. Illegal operations like the one in England are a danger to the community and to legitimate operations.

As Sark explained per Lets Recycle: "Waste crime can have a serious environmental impact which puts communities at risk and undermines legitimate business and the investment and economic growth that go with it."

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