The Environment Agency has launched a formal investigation into a waste site in the North West in the wake of a major fire earlier this month.
The watchdog said it would “not hesitate to take any necessary enforcement action” needed at the facility on Bolton House Road in Bickershaw between Liverpool and Manchester.
Wigan Council said on Friday 4 July that a waste fire that broke out on private land three days earlier was “ongoing” but “under control”.
United Utilities provided water tankers to help Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service tackle the huge blaze.
Wigan Council said this week that it had taken legal action leading to a closure order being put in place at a waste site on Bolton House Road. This meant no waste could be dumped at the facility for at least three months, said the local authority.
A Wigan Council spokesperson, said: “Our teams and partners have worked to turn around this order as quickly as possible, to stop any further activity at this site. The order covers the vehicle entrance and as much as possible of the wider site, to ensure that it cannot be accessed”.
An Environment Agency spokesperson added: “We’re continuing to work with our partners to protect the public and the environment. The Environment Agency regulates waste sites, which must have an environmental permit or waste exemption to operate, and ensures they comply with environmental regulations.
“We are carrying out a formal investigation at this site and won’t hesitate to take any necessary enforcement action, if appropriate.”
