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Two men have been detained as a component of an investigation into the dumping of many thousands of tons of refuse in a field in Oxfordshire, England.

Law enforcement reported that a man in his late sixties was detained at a dwelling in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was arrested in Slough, Berkshire in connection with the huge mound of rubbish tipped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These arrests follow a recent revelation which exposed the operation of over 500 unauthorized sites in England, encompassing at a minimum of 11 so-called "major sites" larger than 20,000 tonnes.

A representative for the environmental agency said that the arrests were for environment-related and proceeds of crime crimes and were a "vital step" in active inquiries. Both men have been set free on conditional release.

Size of the Situation

The illegal site in the Kidlington area, located between the river Cherwell and the A34 road, is believed to house approximately 21,000 tons of waste in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) in height.

This pile of rubbish is consists of what seems to be treated household waste, fragmented plastic materials, Styrofoam, tires and assorted everyday articles.

It constitutes just a single of 517 illegal sites in England, at minimum 11 of which hold in excess of 20,000 tonnes of rubbish. These encompass a 280,000-tonne site in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.

The overall number of such larger dumps is expected to be greater, as the environmental body has in the past indicated it does not hold records on volume for each illegal site.

Most such locations are in countryside areas, often hidden, and on land that is intended to be farm ground.

Organised Enterprise

Authorities say a significant number are managed by criminal organizations, who are earning money by demanding far less than lawful firms to receive and bury rubbish.

Firms have to incur site fees to use lawful disposal sites, based on the quantity and category of material they are trying to dispose of, and landfill tax is also charged at just over £126 per metric ton.

Community Outrage

Initial efforts to clear the Kidlington area location began recently due to concerns over the potential of combustion and the impact that would have on the nearby A-road.

A contracted waste removal contractor has been awarded the task to deal with the area over the next 12 months period at a price of £9.6m.

An enforcement official for the country's environmental crime division stated that the agency would be looking to recoup the remediation funds under confiscation acts from any party found guilty at the conclusion of its current investigation.

She added that these apprehensions would help "push the investigation forward" and permit the agency to "investigate more leads to determine exactly what transpired and who was a party to it".

"The illegal site at this location was an atrocious and intentional assault on our natural surroundings and the authorities share the community's anger at this horrific offence," she remarked.

A senior minister supported the actions, commenting: "This unauthorized deposit of rubbish at this location is appalling and has resulted in considerable damage to the environment and anguish to the surrounding residents.

"Our administration is committed to stamping out this kind of illegal activity across the country, by boosting resources to tackle environmental crime, recruiting more officers and enacting more severe checks and penalties for those who violate the regulations."

The detentions were made on the specified day by agents from a specialist crime team and are in addition to an earlier detention of a man in his thirties from the Guildford area in November. He was set free awaiting more enquiries.