Man faces severe penalties after illegal operation sparks giant fire: 'Repeatedly and deliberately ignored'

If you can't do the time, don't do the climate crime. Littering is never OK.

Oliver Kirkbride of Whitehaven, England, ignored government orders to halt his site's intake and storage of waste, which later led to a massive fire that caused millions of dollars in environmental damage, according to the U.K.'s Environment Agency.

Not only was waste improperly stored, but Kirkbride often dumped waste without permits, notices, or authorization. Unfortunately, illegal dumping of waste is quite common, as site owners attempt to skirt costs. A Scottish man was recently fined thousands for the unlawful dumping of waste from his moving business.

While some of these instances stem from ignorance, rather than malice, Kirkbride "repeatedly and deliberately ignored environmental law and defied enforcement action by continuing to breach the law with no consideration for the environment or the community of Lancaster," said an EA spokesperson.

Illegal dumping isn't just a financial disaster, but an environmental one, too. Dumping waste causes pollution — water, soil, and air can easily become contaminated, putting humans, animals, and plants at risk. Earlier this year, a California man was caught dumping over 250 gallons of oil into the Smith Canal Waterway, where locals frequently fished.

Kirkbride pleaded guilty and was sentenced to "16 months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and 200 hours unpaid work. He was also banned from being a company director for 5 years," per the EA.

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While justice was swiftly served, it can take longer for the environment to heal from these disasters. Oil in waterways can take months or years to remove, and depending on the waste, illegally dumped items like plastic, glass, or batteries can take hundreds or thousands of years to break down. A time-saving, lazy decision by a human can wreak havoc on a habitat for centuries.

The EA hopes the consequences will serve as a deterrent for illegal dumping.

"Waste criminals cause distress to our communities and can destroy the environment. This case demonstrates that we will continue to pursue and take robust action against anyone operating outside the law," the EA spokesperson said.

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