Cardiff Man Jailed Over Toxic Waste Dumping Nightmare at Stowey Quarry
Mark Foley from Cardiff has been slammed with a hefty prison sentence for illegally dumping a staggering 100,000 tonnes of toxic waste at Stowey Quarry near Chew Valley Reservoir. The dumping scandal, which went down in the first nine months of 2016, triggered a major Environment Agency crackdown.
One of the Worst Environmental Crimes in Decades
Bristol Crown Court branded Foley’s operation as one of the most dangerous environmental disasters in the UK in the last 30 years. Foley copped two years and three months for the dumping and an extra 18 weeks, served alongside, for feeding false info to the Environment Agency.
His firm, M E Foley (Contractors) Ltd, which ran the site under a strict environmental permit, failed to show any financial records and was slugged with a £72,000 fine.
Rebecca Kirk from the Environment Agency said, “It has taken 3 years of meticulous work for our investigation into Stowey Quarry to reach this stage. This was environmental offending of the highest order. I am pleased the judge acknowledged the seriousness of the offences committed. The sentences reflect the blatant disregard for the environment and public health.”
Illegal Waste Dumping and Dangerous Lies
Stowey Quarry was only allowed to take ‘clean’ and ‘non-hazardous’ waste, like soil and construction rubble, legally used to build up embankments. Foley, as operator, should have checked every load carefully.
Instead, investigators found he routinely ignored the rules, accepting hazardous and deadly waste. Despite repeated warnings, the illegal dumping carried on until October 2016, when the Environment Agency shut the site down with an immediate Suspension Notice.
Samples dug from the quarry revealed nasty surprises — shredded plastics, metals, foam and other man-made rubbish. Half the samples tested were hazardous, containing carcinogens and toxic substances, posing a serious threat to humans and wildlife.
Toxic Lies and Massive Cover-Ups
- Much of the waste was fraudulently labelled ‘soil substitute’ to dodge regulations.
- Leachate and toxic gases from the site leaked into nearby fields and water streams.
- Foley massively under-reported the waste volume, admitting only 44,950 tonnes while an estimated 95,000 tonnes were dumped in 2016 alone.
- Since 2012, the quarry likely accepted up to 200,000 tonnes, dwarfing the allowed 65,000 tonnes of clean waste.
More court action is on the horizon, with additional suspects facing sentencing in July at Bristol Crown Court. Proceeds of crime hearings are also set to start soon.
