The Environment Agency have confirmed clearance work on the illegal waste dump near the River Cherwell in Kidlington has been delayed due to heavy rainfall.
Acumen Waste Services has been contracted to remove the waste and was set to commence work at the end of February. Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh previously said the clearance will take approximately six to nine months.
However, the clearance has now been delayed after heavy rainfall impacted the ground conditions and made it unsafe for vehicles to access the site.
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said work to remove the waste is now likely to begin in March.
Preliminary works began in January, which include removing trees and shrubs that have been affected by the waste, and restrict access to the site.
The Environment Agency has installed sandbags around the site to block waste from leaching into the River Cherwell. The latest analysis of the water found ‘no evidence’ of pollution in the river caused by waste.
An Environment Agency spokesperson told Circular Online: “The illegal dumping at Kidlington was disgusting and had no regard for the environment or community.”
“We share the community’s disappointment at this news, but we are working at pace with our contractor to ensure removal works start as soon as possible.”
Currently, four people have been arrested as part of the investigation into the illegal waste dump.
Last month, a 69-year-old man was arrested in Andover, and a 54-year-old male was apprehended in Slough. Both were arrested for environmental and money laundering offences and have now been released on bail.
A 52-year-old man from Ashford in Surrey was arrested on 2 February, and last year, a 39-year-old man was arrested as part of the investigation into the illegal waste site.
Director of Policy, Communications and External Affairs at the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM), Dan Cooke, told the BBC that criminals could have made well over £500,000 from dumping the waste.