A FARMER has been caught dumping hazardous waste on his land for the second time in as many years.

Philip Johns was found guilty of disposing controlled rubbish “in a manner likely to cause pollution to the environment or harm to human health”.

The 69-year-old from Monmouth was prosecuted following an investigation by government agency Natural Resources Wales (NRW).

Inspectors found a number of vehicles that were being dismantled on his land with radiators and wheels removed and pots of decanted oils propping them up.

They also discovered green waste and carpets dumped at Glannau Farm, Lydart, Newport Magistrates’ Court heard.

Johns was sentenced to a 12-month community order and must carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

He must also pay NRW’s full prosecution costs of £13,915.09 after being convicted of three waste related charges,

NRW officers visited the farm in January 2022 after receiving reports regarding waste activities.

A number of skips were seen entering and leaving the site, many of which were covered with tarpaulin, indicating that waste was being transported to and from the farm.   

During subsequent visits and a final compliance visit carried out on March 16, 2022, NRW officers observed further offending of the same nature.

Inspectors also found that access had been deliberately blocked by a vehicle.

Johns claimed that he had the appropriate environmental permit to treat, store and deposit waste at the farm and that he did not receive the Section 59 notice to remove the waste and remedy the site.

He also stated that the skips contained animal feed and the vehicles being stripped were for recycling.

The court was told however that Johns was unable to provide a credible explanation as to the quality and quantity of waste at the farm and why his name and number was on the increasing amount of skips seen entering and leaving the site between January and March last year.

Following the hearing, Su Fernandez, a senior enforcement officer with NRW, said: “Waste crime not only impacts the environment but also people’s health and their local communities, as well as undermining legitimate businesses operating within the waste industry.

“I hope this result sends out a message to all those involved in the illegal storing and depositing of waste, that we take this activity extremely seriously and we will always take the appropriate steps to protect our environment and the communities which we serve.”

Johns was prosecuted by NRW for waste offences in November 2021, receiving fines and costs totalling £13,542 and he had his waste carrier licence revoked.

Anybody who suspects illegal waste activity in their area should report it via NRW’s incident hotline on 0300 065 3000.