At the beginning of October, the VVD received information from the Bauska municipal police about the burial of waste on private property in Bārbele parish. It was found that approximately 3,000 square meters of waste had been dumped on the property in an inappropriate manner, place, and conditions.
The property contained an excavator and a truck, as well as a pit with visible waste - household waste, electrical wires, and other types of waste.
Hardijs Verbelis, Director of the South-Western Regional Environmental Directorate of the VVD, pointed out that such waste dumping cases are often difficult to detect and it is even more difficult to identify the persons responsible:
"In this case, the quick reaction of the municipal police was of great importance - the police, noticing suspicious activities with an excavator on a private property, immediately intervened, the tractor driver started running away, but the persons involved in the offense were temporarily detained and, thanks to the work of the police, the VVD was able to obtain explanations from the persons involved for further examination of the situation."
The decomposition of waste in the environment generates substances harmful to human and animal health. They not only contribute to climate change but can also contaminate soil and groundwater with metals and other toxins. Contamination can also enter drinking water and food.
The parties involved in the event - the owner of the waste, the landowner, and the illegal operator - will be held liable for the offense.
The VVD said that in the first nine months of this year, the "Vides SOS" app received 3,687 reports, which is about 10% more than in the same period last year. Of the reports received this year, around 61% are related to environmental pollution.
Compared to last year, the number of reports related to construction waste and the dumping of electrical and electronic equipment in the environment has doubled.
This year, the VVD has received 14 complaints about illegal waste disposal. All the complaints were confirmed and, thanks to public involvement, environmental inspectors were able to bring the perpetrators to justice.
