The Beddington incinerator, which operates on behalf of four councils in South London, is facing potential enforcement action from the Environment Agency after it was found to have surpassed air pollution limits on 916 separate occasions.
These infractions took place between 2022 and 2024 at the waste-to-energy facility and came to light last week following an admission from operator Viridor that it had been misreporting pollution data.
Sutton Council, which contributes waste to the facility, has reached out to Environment Secretary Steve Reed, urging him to initiate enforcement measures. They expressed concern over the fact that they were only informed about these violations 16 months after they were discovered.
A representative from Viridor stated that the company takes its environmental obligations seriously, noting that the inaccuracies in reporting were due to “human error.”
The facility handles waste disposal for approximately 400,000 households across the councils of Croydon, Sutton, Merton, and Kingston.
To maintain operations, the plant is required to log daily air pollution levels from waste combustion for various pollutants and ensure those levels remain within acceptable limits.
In March, Viridor identified that the software used for monitoring had been improperly calibrated, leading to a review that found daily exceedances of nitrogen oxides limits regularly occurring from August 2022 to March 2024.
The Environment Agency was informed, and a subsequent investigation verified 16 violations of its operating license—one for each quarter at its two incinerators. The agency informed the BBC that it is contemplating further corrective actions.
Potential repercussions could include fines and, as a last resort, criminal charges, although such measures are uncommon.
A Viridor representative remarked, “The Environment Agency has recognized that the breaches at Beddington were due to human error by a third-party contractor, consistent with the findings of an independent environmental consultant.”
The spokesperson reiterated the company’s commitment to environmental accountability.
Sutton Council informed the BBC that it was only made aware of the violations this month—some 16 months after Viridor first identified the problem.
On Friday, council leader Barry Lewis wrote to both the company and Environment Secretary Steve Reed, who represents the adjacent areas of Streatham and Croydon North, raising concerns regarding the health implications and reaffirming the council’s opposition to the planned expansion of the facility.
In his correspondence to Mr. Reed, Mr. Lewis expressed that the situation is “still deeply troubling” for local residents.
“Additionally, it is alarming to witness the lack of proper oversight and monitoring by the Environment Agency. It is crucial for our residents to have faith in the efficacy of governmental regulation. This revelation further undermines that trust,” he stated.
The government has not yet provided a response.
