The largest ever fine in Scotland for waste offences has been given to Doonin Plant Limited.
On 12 September, Doonin Plant Limited, along with director Gary Doonin, was found guilty of keeping hundreds of tonnes of controlled waste at a site within the former Woodend Colliery in Armadale. This was done in a manner likely to cause pollution to the environment.
Mr Doonin and the company were also found guilty of keeping controlled waste without the authority of a waste management licence.
The fine was issued on 13 December and is the largest cumulative financial penalty ever handed out for an environment offence reported to the Procurator Fiscal by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).
Sentencing of Gary Doonin was deferred for one year with the sheriff warning that any further offences during that time could lead to a custodial sentence.
Doonin Plant was convicted of other waste offences in 2010 that lead to a £90,000 fine.
SEPA area manager Ian Buchanan said: “Today, justice has been done for Scotland’s environment. The sentence delivered is a positive result for the public, who care about the environment, and legitimate waste operators who have been undermined by the actions of Mr Doonin and Doonin Plant Ltd. By carrying out such activities, the company and its director demonstrated a complete lack of consideration for the environment and we hope the sentence acts as a deterrent to any operators considering breaking the law.
“SEPA has worked closely with our colleagues at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to see this complex case reach a positive conclusion and will continue to do so to bring those who commit environmental crimes to justice.
“The conviction of Mr Doonin himself should also act as a warning to company directors that SEPA will consider offences committed by individuals when investigating environmental crimes.”
