Council snares fly tippers and litter louts
Torfaen Council is showing its commitment to making the area cleaner by prosecuting fly tippers and fining litter louts.
In the last year, five people have been prosecuted for dumping rubbish. In two recent cases environmental health officers searched abandoned rubbish sacks in a bid to catch fly tippers. Their investigation led to a Blaenavon man being fined £100 and £100 costs after household rubbish and clothing was dumped in the Varteg area.
A Cwmbran woman was fined £200 and £150 costs for fly tipping after six bags of her household rubbish were dumped on Springvale Industrial Estate. Powers under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 require people to ensure household waste from their home is properly disposed of through an authorised person.
The Council can also fine litter louts £75. The area around Pontypool McDonalds and the Total Service petrol station was targeted recently and six people were fined for dropping litter. Another nine were given official warnings.
Councillor Glyn Caron, Executive Member for Planning and Public Protection, said: “We will not tolerate fly tipping and we will catch those people who do it. People have a duty to ensure their rubbish is disposed of properly and taken away by an authorised collector. We are urging everyone to act responsibly as it takes little effort or time to throw away rubbish correctly.”
The Environmental Health Team also uses surveillance equipment. Remotely operated cameras are regularly used to monitor dumping hotspots.
If you have information on fly tippers call 01633 648494. This is how long it takes some common items to decompose if they are dropped on the floor.
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Paper - up to 5 months
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Orange peel - up to 6 months
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Cigarette butt - up to 12 years
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Plastic bag - up to 20 years
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Plastic drinks bottle - Over 100 years