Detentions Made in Connection to Supersized Unlawful Landfill

Two men have been arrested as an element of an investigation into the illegal deposit of several thousand of metric tons of refuse in a rural field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Officials stated that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a property in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was detained in the town of Slough in association with the massive heap of rubbish tipped near Kidlington.

These apprehensions come after a recent investigation which exposed the presence of more than 500 unauthorized dumps across England, encompassing at least 11 so-called "large-scale sites" greater than 20,000 tonnes.

A representative for the regulatory agency commented that the detentions were for environmental and financial violations and represented a "crucial step" in continuing inquiries. The apprehended men have been released on conditional release.

Size of the Situation

The dump in Kidlington, located between the River Cherwell and the A34 road, is believed to hold around 21,000 tonnes of refuse in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) in height.

This heap of waste is consists of what seems to be treated residential refuse, chopped up plastics, expanded polystyrene, automobile tires and assorted household items.

It constitutes just a single of 517 unauthorized dumps throughout the country, at least 11 of which hold in excess of 20,000 metric tons of waste. Such sites include a 280,000-tonne location in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.

The total figure of such major sites is probably to be higher, as the environmental agency has earlier acknowledged it does not maintain data on tonnage for all illegal site.

Most sites are in agricultural areas, typically out of sight, and on land that is intended to be farm property.

Criminal Operations

Authorities say many are run by criminal organizations, who are generating cash by asking for far less than licensed operators to take and bury garbage.

Businesses have to pay site fees to use licensed waste facilities, contingent on the volume and type of refuse they are trying to dispose of, and a waste tax is also levied at just over £126 per ton.

Public Outrage

Preparatory efforts to clean up the affected location commenced earlier this month following concerns over the threat of combustion and the impact that would have on the adjacent major road.

A private waste clearance firm has been granted the contract to handle the area over the following 12 months period at a price of £9.6m.

An compliance official for the country's environmental crime division commented that the authority would be looking to claim back the remediation expenses under asset recovery acts from any party ultimately found guilty at the termination of its ongoing case.

She further stated that the recent detentions would help "drive the investigation forward" and enable the agency to "investigate more leads to determine precisely what transpired and who was a party to it".

"This unlawful dump at this location was an shocking and calculated affront on our ecology and officials empathize with the local frustration at this egregious offence," she remarked.

A senior minister welcomed the actions, stating: "This illegal tipping of waste at the site is utterly appalling and has led to substantial damage to the ecology and upset to the nearby residents.

"The authorities is committed to stamping out this type of criminality across the UK, by augmenting financing to address waste crime, recruiting more personnel and introducing stricter measures and penalties for those who flout the rules."

The arrests were carried out on Thursday by officers from a specialist crime squad and are in addition to an earlier arrest of a man in his thirties from the Guildford region in November. He was set free awaiting further investigations.