The Spanish Civil Guard has arrested 14 people linked to a company that managed hazardous waste.
As part of operation “RUBO”, the Civil Guard has arrested and investigated 14 people and three commercial companies related to crimes against natural resources and the environment and falsifying documents and membership in a criminal organization.
“Nearly 2,800 transfers between different parts of the Spanish geography have been documented. Resulting in more than 200,000 tons of waste untreated properly, mixing waste, metals, plastics, sludge, paints and even varnishes,” the authorities said, adding that “much of this waste was transported between companies to end up in landfills without mandatory authorizations. ”
One waste management company had been illegally managing hazardous waste since at least 2015. Another transport company acted as an intermediary and oversaw moving it to landfills. In addition, plastic waste that was not treated in accordance with current regulations was exported as raw material to Southeast Asia when it should have been exported as waste after being decontaminated.
Additionally, the Guardia Civil said, “the Valencian company mixed different types of waste, and also altered the treatments necessary for its proper management for [the] final destination to landfills.” Adding: “Hazardous waste was also dumped into the sewer and the Mediterranean Sea.”
The company collected more waste than it officially declared to the administration. Between 2016 and 2020, 115,632 tons of waste were disposed of without any traceability. The plant could not manage these quantities and accumulated products such as asbestos, sulfuric acid, etc., in large containers that lacked security measures.
Spain’s Environment and Urban Planning Unit of the Attorney General’s Office initiated these actions, making Operation RUBO the largest operation carried out in recent years in Spain.
