Recycling company at centre of Sandycroft fire warned last year over storage of waste

An investigation into a huge blaze which broke out at a Sandycroft recycling plant on Tuesday continued today.

The fire which was tackled by over 60 firefighters at its height is the second at 300 Recycling Ltd in the past two months, the firm specialises on recycling plastics, tyres, coat hangers and mattresses.

Natural Resources Wales revealed they sent a letter to the firm last year over concerns about the amount of waste stored at the site off Factory Road.

Nick Thomas, North East Wales Operations Manager for Natural Resources Wales, said:

“We worked closely with the North Wales Fire and Rescue Service to make sure that the water used to fight the fire was contained.

It’s encouraging to report that our officers on site saw no signs of pollution from this incident getting in to the Dee.

However we continue to monitor the area carefully to get a good understanding of its effect on the environment.

We had some concerns about this site and issued a warning letter to the operators last year.

This was specifically to remind them about the volume of waste they were allowed to store on site.

We began an investigation following a fire at the site on 9 March. That is complex and ongoing work, looking at whether the operator was storing more waste on site than allowed.

We have also started reviewing the way we regulate this site to see if there is a better way of protecting the environment from potential harm.

Everything we learn from this most recent fire will help that review.”

Euros Jones, Duty Tactical Manager for Natural Resources Wales, said:

“Fires at waste sites can harm the environment, people and wildlife.

The smoke affects the air we breathe and the water used by the fire service to fight the blaze can pollute local streams and rivers.

In this location we are working hard to protect the Dee which is an important source of drinking water for people in a large area, for the local economy, as an area for local people to enjoy and for wildlife.”

Deeside.com have asked 300 Recyling for a comment.