Hazardous waste exporters must pay six figure sum

Eight men and three companies have been ordered to pay over £220,000 for the part they played in the biggest criminal network to be uncovered and prosecuted by the Environment Agency for attempting to export broken electronics from the UK. Hazardous televisions, fridges - some containing ozone depleting substances - and old computers, were among the 450 tonnes of electronics illegally exported to Nigeria, Ghana and Pakistan, while the gang pocketed money by claiming to be reusing the waste legally and safely.

The sentencing of three men at Basildon Crown Court, is the second part of the most complex legal action ever taken by the Environment Agency. The three defendants were ordered to pay a total of £142,145 in fines, costs and confiscations.

Another two defendants are still to face sentencing and a third is still at large.

"The biggest" Environment Agency waste exports case

The prosecution had to be split in two as there were 15 defendants in total – 11 men and four companies. Five men and three companies were convicted after a six-week trial in November 2011. They were ordered to pay a total of £78,000. This could not be reported at the time because of reporting restrictions.

Andy Higham, National Environmental Crime Team Manager said: 'This is the biggest waste exports case the Environment Agency has taken and confirms the legal position on exporting electronic waste to developing countries. Sending hazardous waste to developing countries is unacceptable. Our Environmental Crime Teams will continue to track down and stop those who risk damaging people’s health and the environment.'

National Environmental Crime Team officers began a complex two-year investigation - code named Operation Boron - in 2008. The Environment Agency worked closely with HMRC, police, Nigerian and Belgian authorities following intelligence reports of illegal waste being sent overseas.

As investigators closed the net, a dozen 40-foot containers of hazardous electrical waste destined for Nigeria were stopped. Eight of the containers were intercepted by the Environment Agency at Felixstowe and Tilbury while four were repatriated from Belgium.

Concealed broken electronics

Containers were often ‘dressed’ with well wrapped and labelled items in the front few rows to conceal the broken electronics behind.

Officers moved in to make their first arrests in 2009 with court proceedings getting underway in 2010. The investigation uncovered waste collected from civic amenity sites and unsuspecting businesses across the UK being sent to Lagos, Nigeria.

As the investigation progressed it became clear that some of the defendants were still exporting containers despite being aware that their previous containers had been stopped. Two of the containers were stopped in September this year. All of the men ran sites at which the electrical items were loaded for export.

Jeff Warburton, Investigating Officer for Operation Boron said: 'This has been a long and complex investigation to bring to book criminals who have flouted the law, risking people’s health in developing countries and undercutting legitimate recycling businesses in the UK. Working in partnership with the authorities in Nigeria and Belgium we have successfully stopped these illegal exporters. But we won’t stop there - we will continue to track down environmental criminals.'

All defendants faced charges of shipping hazardous waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), for recovery to Nigeria, Ghana and Pakistan in breach of the Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations 2007 and the European Waste Shipment Regulation 2006.

Waste crime is a global issue. Although functioning electronics can be exported to developing countries, sending hazardous waste to developing countries is illegal.

Sentenced yesterday after pleading guilty in November 2012

• Krassimer Vengelov, 50, of Burgess Hill, West Sussex, ran an electronic waste collection and treatment operation in Sussex – KSV Sussex. 15 containers were exported from his site.  Total fines and confiscation orders of £112,015
• Michael Singh Aulakh, 28, of Sandon Rd Edgebaston Birmingham, ran the now dissolved Thorn International UK in Smethwick, Birmingham. Three containers were exported from his yard. Total fines and confiscation orders of £25,715
• Adrian Thompson, 33, of Crosskeys, Mattishall, Norfolk, ran Ady’s Skips and Recycling Services Limited which had a contract to collected televisions from 18 civic amenity sites in Norfolk. Total fines and confiscation orders of £4,415. He rented space in his yard to another defendants Stewart McGuigan

Still to face sentencing

• Terence Dugbo, 41, of High Ash, Avenue Leeds, ran a permitted site in Leeds, 12 of the containers were exported from his site. He will be sentenced in 2013 once confiscation proceedings are complete
• Prince Ibeh, 48, of Russell Gardens, Poole, will be sentenced on 18th January as he was sick and could not be at court. He ran a site in Lymington and traded under the name First Remove. He traded in electronic waste and loaded the items for export. This was one of the first containers targeted by the Agency
• Emmanuel Mekete, is still at large, he ran a site in Leicester from which two containers were exported to Nigeria and Pakistan

Richard Ball, Head of Environment for Corporate Risk Systems said: ‘ Waste crime is complex and organised, and organisations not managing waste correctly can but unwittingly implicated leading to reputational damage, legal implications and business interruption. It is vital organisations have a clear waste management system in place’

Overhaul of CRC could save businesses £272m

The Government is to simplify the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC), claiming the move could save participating businesses £272m in administrative costs up to 2030.

Reforms to the scheme, which aims to ensure industrial energy efficiency and carbon objectives are met, were announced in the Chancellor's Autumn Statement and will deliver a 55% reduction in costs.

Subject to Parliamentary approval, the changes will come into effect on June 1 2013 and a further review will be held in 2016.

The simplifications, which are a response to a consultation on CRC this year, include abolishing the Performance League Table.

The Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change Gregory Barker argued that this move would not hinder company transparency.

"I understand participants' concerns around the Performance League Table and have decided to abolish it.

"Participants' aggregated energy use and emissions data will continue to be made public annually in line with the Government's transparency agenda, which will ensure that CRC participants' energy efficiency behaviour remains visible," he said.

In addition, the number of fuels that participants are obliged to report against have been reduced from 29 to just two - electricity and gas for heating.

The 90% rule has been removed, as well as the Climate Change Agreement and all state-funded schools in England have been withdrawn from the scheme.

Barker said: "Energy efficiency increases productivity and is good for growth so it is important that we continue to incentivise this through the CRC.

"We have listened to the concerns of business and radically simplified the scheme in order to cut down on administrative costs and red tape. And we will consider how to encourage new renewable on-site generation through the CRC scheme.

"The scheme will now be more flexible and light-touch, saving participants money and helping them to save energy"

Brits clueless about Green Deal

Results of a survey have found that 96% of the British public have never heard of, or do not understand the Green Deal.
According to the survey from electrical supplies distributor Rexel, many businesses are also oblivious with just 17% of employers aware that the Green Deal, to be launched in two months, applies to them.

Despite three-quarters of people admitting that they are concerned about rising energy bills and nearly seven in 10 expressing interest in making energy efficiency improvements to their homes, 61% of the respondents have never heard of the Green Deal and 35% said they do not understand the scheme. Some Green Deal measures are receiving more publicity than others according to the findings.

LED lighting is the first consideration with 18% of employers opting for this measure, while 10% plan to use the loans to install window glazing and 9% to improve insulation or draught proofing. Biomass boilers and automated systems and controls are the least popular measures, with just 1% of respondents opting for these technologies.

Corporate Risk Systems, Head of Environmental Richard Ball commented ‘Any ISO14001 EMS will have Energy Use as a aspect, this initiative offers an opportunity to manage environmental issues and business financial needs  at the same time. ‘ For more information about ISO14001 courses visit http://www.crsrisk.com/CIEH_Level_3_Award_in_Environmental_Management
Rexel director Brian Smithers claimed that the findings came as no surprise considering Greg Barker's recent admission that no Green Deal assessments had been carried out and only 12 providers have signed up to the scheme to date. He said: "For the Green Deal to truly deliver, it's crucial that the industry doesn't leave the ball in the Government's court. We need to work together to educate business owners and consumers about the benefits of energy saving measures, and the role the Green Deal can play in making these available at no upfront cost."

"With energy bills rising, measures like the Green Deal can really help to deliver cost savings and reduce our impact on the environment."

Last week the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) announced it would launch a £2.9m advertising campaign to raise awareness of the Green Deal.

Commenting on the Government's move, Green Alliance head of research Faye Scott said:

"This is good news for everyone that wishes the Green Deal to succeed. Back in May our report raised the risk that dispersed communication on the Green Deal may not reach the public effectively, especially as take up of energy schemes has been relatively low up until now, even when measures are heavily subsidised or even free.

"We are pleased the government listened to our call to use communications to build trust around the Green Deal and has recognised their own important role in doing so."

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Santa’s Help for Heros and Sea Shepherds

Corporate Risk Systems have continued with our regular contributions to charity through this year’s festive donations. Rather than seasonal business gifts we have decided to make donations to two worthy causes again! The donations go to Help for Heros for those exposed to the ultimate occupational Health and Safety risks the armed forces and an environmental charity committed to protected the Ocean’s biodiversity
Help for Heros is a well-known cause but the work of Sea Shepard may be less familiar to some established in 1977, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) is an international non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organization. Their mission is to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world's oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species.


Sea Shepherd uses innovative direct-action tactics to investigate, document, and take action when necessary to expose and confront illegal activities on the high seas. By safeguarding the biodiversity of our delicately-balanced ocean ecosystems, Sea Shepherd works to ensure their survival for future generations.

Sea Shepherd Campaigns

	Dolphins Sea Shepherd has been active in directly intervening where dolphins are threatened. In 1982, we negotiated an end to the dolphin slaughter of Iki Island, Japan. We sent crews to Taiji, Japan, in 2003 and 2004, and to the Solomon Islands. more
	Galapagos In the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador, Sea Shepherd is working with the National Marine Park service on anti-poaching enforcement and conservation programs. more
	Seals Sea Shepherd has been fighting sealers since 1975, and over the course of a quarter of a century we have saved hundreds of thousands of seals from slaughter using many different and creative methods. Sea Shepherd's highly-publicized efforts have helped in creating awareness, which is the first step in enacting change. more
	Sharks On multi-faceted fronts, Sea Shepherd is waging an all out battle to save sharks from the threat of decimation. Not only does Sea Shepherd work hard to raise awareness and care for this unpopular species, we also patrol marine protected areas, expose corruption/greed, and arrest the criminals who drive the multi-billion dollar shark-killing industry. more
	Whales Sea Shepherd has been on the front lines for nearly three decades protecting whales from illegal whalers. From Japan to Iceland to Norway and elsewhere around the globe, Sea Shepherd's direct action crews defend whales from slaughter. more

During the past eight seasons, Sea Shepherd’s direct-action interventions have saved the lives of more than 3,600 whales.

Will the COP18 in Doha deliver a 2015 global climate deal?

The United Nations climate change conference next week in Doha, Qatar must start the hard work of turning last year's agreement to enhance global climate action into reality.

Connie Hedegaard, European Commissioner for Climate Action, said: "Doha must build on the breakthrough we achieved in Durban and make progress in preparation of the 2015 legally binding global climate agreement. Equally important will be agreeing on further measures to reduce emissions so we can stay below a 2°C increase. The EU stands by our commitments to participate in a second period of the Kyoto Protocol and to continue providing major financial support to help developing countries tackle climate change. The context for Doha is the recent World Bank report and the UNEP emissions gap report which make it abundantly clear that the world is losing precious time."

The European Union wants an outcome that takes forward all elements of the package of decisions agreed in Durban towards a new global climate agreement by 2015. The EU has also asked the Qatari Presidency to hold ministerial discussions to agree on concrete measures to cut global emissions further before 2020. The EU stands firmly by its part of the deal struck in Durban and its commitment to participate in a second period of the Kyoto Protocol.

The EU is the world’s largest donor of official development assistance and of climate finance to developing countries. In Doha the EU will show it is on track to deliver the full €7.2 billion in 'fast start' climate finance it has pledged for the period 2010-2012. The EU will also discuss with its developing country partners how major flows of EU climate finance can continue in 2013-2014 and beyond.

Richard Ball, Head of Environment, Corporate Risk Systems commented “Climate Change is upon us, it is upto Governments to agree goals, organisations to drive changes and individuals to take action, if the magnitude and effects of change is to be minimised and mitigated.  Action on Carbon and Energy is the business issue that will be here long after the economic down turn.”

In its annual Emissions Gap Report  UNEP said that countries' existing emission pledges, if fully implemented, will help reduce emissions to below the business-as-usual level in 2020, but not to a level consistent with the agreed 2°C limit, and so will lead to a considerable “emissions gap”.

In its report "Turn down the heat" the World Bank spells out what the world would look like if it warmed by 4 degrees Celsius. The report says that finding ways to avoid that scenario is vital for the health and welfare of communities around the world.

Total sells its Nigerian oil stake to China's Sinopec

Total has announced the sale of its 20% stake in a Nigerian offshore oilfield to the Chinese state-owned Sinopec. The French oil firm said its Chinese counterpart was paying $2.5bn (£1.6bn) for the stake in the OML 138 oil block.

The block includes the Usan oilfield, which began producing in February, and is jointly owned with Chevron, Exxon and Canada's Nexen. Total said in September it aimed to sell $15bn-$20bn in oil assets by 2014 to raise cash for new projects.

The sale, which will be paid for in cash, still needs to be approved by the Nigerian authorities. The Nigerian state oil company, NNPC, holds the concession on the oilfield. "Usan accounts for less than 10% of the group's equity production in Nigeria," said Yves-Louis Darricarrère, who heads up Total's oil drilling business. "This sale of an asset operated from a minority position will allow us to focus our resources on the material growth opportunities in Total's portfolio.

Sinopec's purchase is just the latest example of China buying up commodities and developing mineral resources in Africa. However, it comes at a time when the Chinese economy has slowed its rapid growth. Last month, Sinopec reported a drop in profits in the three months to September, due to weak Chinese demand for petrochemicals.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20397492

Breast cancer 'linked' to chemical jobs, Stirling study suggests

Women working in jobs where they are exposed to certain chemicals may have a greater risk of developing breast cancer, a study suggests. The international research by the Occupational and Environmental Health Research Group at Stirling University studied more than 2,000 women.
They found that women who worked for 10 years in jobs classified as "highly exposed" increased their risk by 42%. The team has called for further research on the subject.
Researchers from Canada, the US and the UK all took part in the study, which monitored 1,006 women with breast cancer and 1,147 without the disease in Southern Ontario, Canada.
Dr James Brophy, from Occupational and Environmental Health Research Group (OEHRG), said: "Breast cancer causality is complex. It is believed to result from a combination of factors including genetic, hormonal and lifestyle influences as well as environmental exposures. However, studies have shown that breast cancer incidence rose throughout the developed world during in the second half of the 20th Century as women entered industrial workplaces and many new and untested chemicals were being introduced. Diverse and concentrated exposures to carcinogens and hormone disrupting chemicals in some workplaces can put workers at an increased risk for developing cancer."
The researchers said although the study focused on Ontario, where there is extensive manufacturing and agriculture, its findings have relevance to women working in a variety of industries across the globe.
Professor Andrew Watterson, head of the OEHRG and a co-investigator on the project, said: "Many workers face multiple exposures to chemicals, not only from their employment, but from their everyday environment. Many of the women included in the study were exposed to a virtual 'toxic soup' of chemicals. Untangling work and wider factors in the possible causes of breast cancer is an important global issue."
The study found several occupational sectors in which there appeared to be an elevated breast cancer risk, including manufacture of plastics for use in the automobile industry, farming and metalworking.
Some experts have cast doubt on whether the statistical analysis used to interpret the data in the study gives an accurate assessment of true risk. In a statement, the American Chemistry Council also expressed its concerns, saying that the authors could be "over-interpreting their results and unnecessarily alarm workers". It added: "This study included no data showing if there was actual chemical exposure, from what chemicals, at what levels, and over what period of time in any particular workplace. Although this is an important area of research, these findings are inconsistent with other research. This study should not be used to draw any conclusions about the cause of cancer patterns in workers."
Dr Brophy called for further research to be funded as a matter of urgency. He said: "The study of occupational risks for breast cancer is a neglected area of research. This study points to the value of including detailed work histories in the environmental and occupational epidemiology of breast cancer."
CRS provides a suite of competency-based short-course training on a variety of subjects including the control of substances which may be hazardous to health (COSHH).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-20366589