Illegal dumpers bury open land in enormous heap of waste
Witness
Illegal dumpers have deposited a mountain of garbage in a field in Oxfordshire.
The "environmental crisis occurring in full view" is around 150m (490ft) extending and 6m (20ft) high.
The huge pile has been discovered in a plot of land adjacent to the River Cherwell near Kidlington.
Elected official raised the situation in parliament, saying it was "posing risk of an environmental disaster".
An environmental charity reported the illegal rubbish dump was established about a few weeks back by an illegal operation.
"This is an ecological disaster taking place in full view.
"Every day that passes increases the threat of poisonous drainage reaching the aquatic network, contaminating animals and threatening the health of the entire river basin.
"Environmental authorities must take action now, not in the distant future, which is their typical reaction time."
A restriction order had been implemented by the regulatory body.
It is hard to distinguish any particular bits of rubbish as it seems to have been broken up with soil combined.
A portion of the rubbish from the top of the mound has fallen and is now merely five metres from the stream.
The River Cherwell is a tributary of the River Thames, which signifies it flows through Oxford before meeting the Thames.
Official recording
The official petitioned the administration for support to remove the unauthorized dump before it triggered a blaze or was washed away into the water network.
Addressing MPs on recently, he declared: "Illegal operators have dumped a mountain of illegal plastic waste... totaling many tons, in my district on a floodplain next to the River Cherwell.
"Water heights are rising and heatmaps indicate that the waste is also heating up, elevating the risk of fire.
"The Environment Agency reported it has limited capabilities for enforcement, that the projected cost of removal is greater than the entire annual funding of the municipal authority."
Cabinet member stated the authorities had inherited a struggling waste industry that had caused an "growing issue of unlawful dumping".
She informed MPs the authority had served a restriction order to halt additional admission to the site.
In a statement, the authority said it was examining the matter and appealed for details.
It commented: "We acknowledge the public's frustration about situations like this, which is why we intervene against those accountable for illegal dumping."
A recent report determined efforts to combat major illegal dumping have been "severely neglected" despite the situation becoming more extensive and more complex.
Government advisors proposed an separate "thorough" investigation into how "endemic" waste crime is dealt with.
