Parliamentary allegations raise concerns over illegal waste dumping at Walleys Quarry

Newcastle MP Aaron Bell made allegations during a Parliamentary committee on Tuesday 1 February 2022.

He said that emails leaked by a whistleblower discussed the tipping of hazardous waste including arsenic, rat poison and zinc at Walleys Quarry.
 
Mr Bell told the Westminster Hall debate on criminality within and regulation of the waste industry:
 
“The key point I’m here to make today is that the current nature and scale of waste crime in this country is I believe beyond the capacity of the environment agency as a regulator, and I think the current regulatory regime is no longer fit for purpose for two main reasons: the changing nature of the crimes being committed; and the failure of the environment agency to keep pace and to act with sufficient robustness of force against them.”
 
Using parliamentary privilege, Mr Bell was able to relay information from an article The Guardian have been reportedly seeking to publish.
 
The allegations voiced by Mr Bell have since been refuted by Red Industries, which also denies allegations of illegal waste activities at sites operated by the company announced by the Environment Agency in December.
 
Leigh Day partner Michelle Victor said:
 
“If true, these allegations of toxic waste tipping are extremely worrying. Residents need urgent action to address the noxious fumes from the site, as described by my colleague Jessica Harrison who lives near to the site. Residents also need to be assured that they will be compensated for the years of misery caused by the landfill site.”