Illegal dumpers submerge open land in mountain of garbage
Witness
Fly-tippers have discarded a mountain of rubbish in a rural area in Oxfordshire.
The "environmental crisis developing in plain sight" is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) in height.
The enormous mound has been discovered in a open area adjacent to the River Cherwell near Kidlington.
Elected official brought up the situation in parliament, declaring it was "risking an ecological catastrophe".
An environmental charity reported the illegal garbage pile was formed about a month ago by an illegal operation.
"This represents an ecological disaster unfolding in plain sight.
"Every day that goes by elevates the danger of poisonous seepage reaching the aquatic network, poisoning fauna and endangering the wellbeing of the complete watershed.
"Environmental authorities must take action now, not in extended periods, which is their standard response period."
Access ban had been established by the environmental authorities.
It is challenging to identify any specific items of rubbish as it looks to have been shredded with dirt blended.
A portion of the rubbish from the uppermost part of the pile has toppled and is now merely five feet from the waterway.
The River Cherwell is a tributary of the River Thames, which indicates it flows through Oxford before joining the Thames.
Official recording
The MP requested the authorities for assistance to remove the illegal tip before it triggered a blaze or was carried into the aquatic system.
Addressing elected representatives on recently, he declared: "Lawbreakers have dumped a massive amount of unauthorized plastic waste... weighing many tons, in my district on a floodplain next to the River Cherwell.
"Water heights are increasing and heatmaps indicate that the rubbish is also heating up, increasing the risk of combustion.
"Environmental authorities stated it has restricted resources for compliance, that the estimated price of disposal is larger than the entire annual budget of the municipal authority."
Environment minister commented the administration had assumed responsibility for a failing waste industry that had caused an "growing issue of unauthorized dumping".
She informed parliament members the agency had served a access ban to stop more entry to the location.
In a statement, the authority said it was looking into the incident and requested for information.
It commented: "We acknowledge the public's concern about occurrences like this, which is why we respond against those accountable for waste crime."
A recently published investigation discovered initiatives to address major environmental offenses have been "extremely overlooked" despite the situation developing into more extensive and more advanced.
The Environment and Climate Change Committee suggested an independent "root and branch" inquiry into how "prevalent" waste crime is tackled.
