Agencies work together in day of action in Newcastle-under-Lyme

• Part of national efforts to ensure waste is described accurately and transported safely to the right facilities
• Environment Agency, HMRC, Staffordshire Police and DVSA working together in a combined effort

Officers from the Environment Agency, Staffordshire Police, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) have today taken part in a multi-agency operation in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

The action is part of the Environment Agency’s efforts nationally to make sure those vehicles inspected, which are involved in the storage and transfer of waste from source to destination, are complying with their legal obligations.

The Environment Agency and partners carry out joint operations like this to gather more information about those transporting waste. Working together, the Environment Agency, HMRC, DVSA and police combine efforts and use their powers in a targeted way. This could include ensuring vehicles are safe and maintained to the correct standards, that waste being transported is described accurately and that the destination is the right facility.

Gerry Magee from the Environment Agency’s Environmental Crime team said:

The Environment Agency regularly works in partnership with other organisations to carry out operations to check that the relevant rules are being followed during the transportation of waste. The combined use of our powers helps us ensure that robust and proportionate action is taken where it is needed. We will continue to work with partners in this way to get the best outcomes for communities.

DVSA’s Director of Enforcement, Marian Kitson said:

DVSA’s priority is protecting everyone from unsafe drivers and vehicles. Alongside our partners, we are eager to contribute to this valuable work for the public’s safety in Staffordshire. All operators and drivers have a legal and moral duty to ensure their vehicles are safe and roadworthy. Failing to do so will result in us taking action where a danger to public safety is identified.

• This operation is focussed on commercial vehicles moving waste in the North Staffordshire area
• As part of the operation, commercial vehicles were checked on the A5271 at Porthill roundabout and on Cemetery Road in Silverdale