BMRA Applauds UK Environmental Agency's Anti-Theft Fund

The British Metals Recycling Association (BMRA) is applauding an announcement by the United Kingdom’s Environment Agency to authorize a £5 million (US$7.8 million) fund to assist in tackling illegal waste operations.
 

“BMRA has been calling for the Agency to take urgent action against the many hundreds of illegal sites handling scrap metal for some time. They blight the metals recycling industry’s reputation, make a mockery of environmental protection laws and give illegal operators an unfair commercial advantage as well as providing a ready outlet for stolen metal,” Ian Hetherington, BMRA director general, says.
 

 “BMRA vigorously supports a nationally coordinated approach to metal theft from the police and the Environment Agency. However, there is concern that the Environment Agency’s initiative has not been properly joined-up with the announcement of a separate £5 million metal theft taskforce made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Autumn Statement.”