Moves to shift mound of rotting waste an ‘absolute disgrace’

The 3,000 bales of rubbish, some ripped, smelly and fly-infested, which are destined for a waste recovery plant in Germany, have been waiting at Goole dockside for several weeks.

Yesterday officials, including from the Environment Agency and Goole and Health Port Authority, visited the site.

East Riding councillor Keith Moore, who represents Goole North, was told the rubbish would be repackaged, tented over and resprayed before being stored elsewhere.

He said: “Imagine the smell when they start to shift it. They have to find an enclosed warehouse and I am told that could take up to six weeks. The whole process is a disgrace.

“The only legal powers they have (enforcement) would take a month.

“I went there this lunchtime and there were flies all over and it stank – there was brown stuff oozing out of one of the bales.

“We had relatively cool weather up till last week, but then it heated up, and the maggots will have started breeding and flies and that’s when people started to complain.”

No one was available to comment from the Leeds-based private waste management firm which is understood to be handling the waste, but the Environment Agency said it was not ruling out legal action.

The agency said it would take enforcement action, including a potential prosecution, if the waste were not dealt with satisfactorily.

The premises were first visited on May 22, when officials discovered the proper authorisations were not in place.

The firm was meant to have rewrapped damaged bales to prevent the smell, but yesterday the agency said the action taken was inadequate.

Ian Cowie, environmental crime team leader, said the company had been ordered to make further improvements, adding: “They have agreed to do this immediately and we are working with the company to make sure this waste is legally disposed of.”