A monumental cleaning operation has begun at Kent to remove 30,000 tons of dangerous waste Illegally dumped a woodland in Kent.
Comprehensive effort in Hods Wood in Ashford, coordinated by Environment agencyIt is expected to take a year to complete.
The huge amount of harmful materials, which first appeared in 2023, AStack up to 15 feet high in some areas of Woodland,
Most of the domestic and construction waste incorporated were rejected, already undergoing mechanical treatment, the environment agency had seen “dangerous waste pockets” within the mound.
Illegal dumping has inspired an important criminal investigation with three arrests in February this year.
Officials are following an “significant number of” of investigation lines as they continue to check the organized crime link behind environmental destruction.
This week has identified the loading of the first lories with contaminated materials, which is in luck for safe settlement facilities, indicating the onset of the comprehensive expulsion process.
Enforcement and Investigation Manager at Environment Agency, Emma Winner said: “Today, there is an important step in the journey to bring back the pier wood as the sanctuary for both of them today. the wildlife And people.”
The cost of clean-up operation is expected up to £ 15 million.
Hod wood is named a site of special scientific interest Natural England And there is a house of rare plants and wildlife that can struggle to recover after removing waste.
Ian Records, a field manager of the Kent Wildlife Trust, told the PA news agency: ” natural habitat It is destroyed and lost, but … it is possible to create a habitat inside there that will work with Woodland and wildlife will benefit some. ,
So far 170 trees have to be cut due to polluted soil on the site.
Mr. Records stated that with Buzzards, Fox, Baszers and Deer, Fungi, Wild Flowers and Aksheruki, all suffer from illegal dumping.
He said: “There is only one direction to go from this, you can’t do it … It should not really be able to get worse, hopefully the lesson is learned because what will happen (what will happen) if it is worse if it is elsewhere.”
Nature minister Manufacturer Said Government The waste is “determined” to create a rift on criminals.
Lauries starting their work this week are likely to continue till Christmas.
After Christmas, the environment agency and contracted waste service company, Acumen, will assess how much damage to the circumference of the site has also been damaged.
There was a concern among the workers what would happen to the site when the cleanliness ended and the agency’s court order allows them to control the termination of the site.
Ms. Viner said: “Environmental agency is not a landlord in hoard wood here, but we are supporting conversations between various parties to see the future.
“So, we are not just going away, we are involved in supporting those conversations and will move forward.”
Mr. Records said he was worried that the environment agency could move away from the site without a clear path for its future.
“I am hoping that the goal of the environment agency and other agencies here is to restore this woodland as the best,” he said.
