South Wales tire fire trio in dock as trial starts

ERJ staff report (BC)

Swansea, South Wales – The trial of three people alleged to be responsible for a fire which brought disruption to Swansea is due to begin, reports Ruth Mosalski of the South Wales Evening Post.

Scott Phillips, 44, Dorothy Thomas, 59, and Peter Thomas, 66, were all directors of Globally Greener Solutions.

They were charged after a fire which broke out at Fforestfach Industrial Estate on 16 June 2011.

They are due to go on trial at Swansea Crown Court after denying a series of charges brought by Natural Resources Wales, formerly the principality’s Environment Agency.

All three deny causing waste to be deposited at the industrial estate without a permit between March 2008 and June 2011.

They also deny keeping controlled waste in a manner likely to cause pollution or harm to human health between March 2008 and June 2011.

The three also face two charges of contravening the requirements of an environmental permit between March 2008 and April 2010 and between April 2010 and June 2011.

Phillips and the Thomases each face four charges relating to a fire which broke out at the industrial estate on 16 June 2011.

The first charge alleges they deposited mixed waste and tire waste at the site without a current waste management permit between March and November 2008.

The second charge alleges they kept controlled waste, both mixed waste and tire waste, in a manner likely to cause pollution to the environment or harm to human health.

They all also face two counts of contravening the requirements of an environmental permit.

The Environment Agency faced a £200 000 (€235 000) bill after the blaze and another bill of £1.6m (€1.9) jointly footed by the agency and Swansea Council.

All three have been on conditional bail since their last court appearance.

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Full report from South Wales Evening Post