Men busted committing harmful crimes on farmland: 'People should be vigilant'

Two men have been charged with allegedly using Welsh farmland as a landfill, per the South Wales Argus.

St. Mellons Business Park was the site where Kyle Gordon Mason and John Brian Janes dumped a mixture of waste they collected through their business. Authorities began investigating the matter in 2021 after finding several van loads of garbage left across three different fields.

Littering negatively impacts the beauty and safety of natural spaces. Farm animals and wildlife may become entangled in debris or even swallow it after mistaking it for food.

Pests, from snakes to woodrats to mosquitoes, love the nesting places and smell that trash piles provide. However, such vermin aren't safe for people or animals as they can spread disease and cause property damage.

Local economies and taxpayers are losing money on the cost of waste removal. According to the BBC, 39,853 fly-tipping incidents cost Welsh taxpayers £1.83 million ($2.4 million) in 2022.

Culprits also lose money once caught. In this case, Mason's punishment includes a £200 ($269) NRW fine, along with a victim surcharge, jail time, and a 12-month suspension. Janes's fine amounts to £500 ($672), £750 ($1009) to NRW, and a £200 ($269) victim surcharge.

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The environmental harm is also extensive as the waste breaks down into carbon and methane that rise in the atmosphere. Those gases trap heat, leading to the ongoing climate crisis. As a result, the planet faces more intense weather events like larger hurricanes and longer droughts.

That's why John Rock, operations manager for Natural Resources Wales (NRW), advises, "People should be vigilant of fly-tippers."

Sadly, several others have tried to save time and management expenses by dumping in open places from roadsides to someone's backyard instead of a proper facility that may be further away. Therefore, customers should check any waste management business for a proper handling license.

Anyone can take local action by using a smartphone to capture and report incidents.

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In addition to staying vigilant about illegal dumping, reuse and recycle items to reduce your trash. Green and cardboard waste can go in compost to enhance gardens. According to WWF, plastic can take up to 500 years to break down; however, many plastic containers are reusable. Even if you don't live in a state that bans single-use plastics, you can always support companies that don't use them.

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