Land Clearers / farmers - where do I get rid of this ?

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BBH

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Have discovered two old rusty oil drums full of what smells like diesel when clearing some land and cannot find anyone who will take them away due to current restrictions on disposing of contaminants.

Someone suggested burying them but I don't want to do that.

Any ideas.
 
This is not an entirely flippant answer, but what about ebay, collection only? If it smells like diesel you'd probably get some takers, even if only for the oil drums.
 
Thanks for the thought.

The only thing is they are so rusty as to be useless imo, we don't know how old they are so I can't even think the diesel would be wanted.
 
Have you contacted your local environment agency office they should be able to point you in the direction of hazardous waste companies. Or the two major commercial ones I use in my work are RAW and AUGEAN but they are maybe more national than you need but might have something to help. Expect it to be fairly expensive.
 
99p start and you'd be amazed at the rubbish people will come and collect!

Alternatively the most elegant solution I can think of is expensive and would be to obtain a plastic oil tank and put it on a trailer, use a pump to transfer contents of drums to oil tank, remove oil tank to suitable out of the way place on your own land, remove from trailer and leave it there out of sight and out of mind.

Or you could get a nice thick steel drum, cut open lengthways, half fill each half with old cotton rag, pour in some of the 'diesel' and set fire to it - not wildly environmentally friendly I suppose but better than risking a spill and run off into the land.

Round here I think most of the farmers would have tried a gallon or so in an old tractor or farm vehicle and if it didn't work they'd burn it!
 
Horsesforever1 said:
contact your local council and ask advice. they will probably collect but may charge you a fee.
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Council won't take it, even for a charge and can't suggest where to go either. Don't understand that really as surely they must have fly tipped drums at some point. Local amenity tip won't take them either.
 
BBH said:
Council won't take it, even for a charge and can't suggest where to go either. Don't understand that really as surely they must have fly tipped drums at some point. Local amenity tip won't take them either.
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This is all giving you a sign, it's nearly bonfire night:D
 
ossy said:
Have you contacted your local environment agency office they should be able to point you in the direction of hazardous waste companies. Or the two major commercial ones I use in my work are RAW and AUGEAN but they are maybe more national than you need but might have something to help. Expect it to be fairly expensive.
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Will try this thanks but won't be happy if its megabucks :(

Even asked the highways agency if they would take them as they left them behind when we bought the land. Funnily enough they wouldn't.
 
If noone will take it then I would write to the EA advising them of all the people you have tried and the answers you have had and advise them that you are now requiring them to advise them of a legal way to dispose of the barrels. Send it recorded delivery. That way, if anyone ever kicks up, there will be a written record to say you did everything you could
to abide by the law, so there's no way you will get heavily fined etc.

Of course you could (illegally) give them back to the Highways agency by leaving them by the side of one of their highways, since they broke the law originally by not dispsing of the waste they create/owned, but that would be illegal so couldnt recommend it (tho it is the route taken by some farmers who are fed up with the flytipping in their gateways that noone helps them with the cost of clearing up).

Alternatively, rather than big (again probably illegal) fires, you could instead very gradually use the diesel by soaking rags in it and using it as firelighters. It might take a year or two to use it all but it would eventually.

Another idea, what about contacting a big independent garage, they will have oodles of waste oil disposal.

Wont the local tip take it, they take waste oil at ours? Or is the amount too big?

It is a bit of a disgrace, after all, even asbestos can be disposed of for a cost, and thats more lethal if it's the bad type.
 
lachlanandmarcus said:
If noone will take it then I would write to the EA advising them of all the people you have tried and the answers you have had and advise them that you are now requiring them to advise them of a legal way to dispose of the barrels. Send it recorded delivery. That way, if anyone ever kicks up, there will be a written record to say you did everything you could
to abide by the law, so there's no way you will get heavily fined etc.

Of course you could (illegally) give them back to the Highways agency by leaving them by the side of one of their highways, since they broke the law originally by not dispsing of the waste they create/owned, but that would be illegal so couldnt recommend it (tho it is the route taken by some farmers who are fed up with the flytipping in their gateways that noone helps them with the cost of clearing up).

Alternatively, rather than big (again probably illegal) fires, you could instead very gradually use the diesel by soaking rags in it and using it as firelighters. It might take a year or two to use it all but it would eventually.

Another idea, what about contacting a big independent garage, they will have oodles of waste oil disposal.

Wont the local tip take it, they take waste oil at ours? Or is the amount too big?

It is a bit of a disgrace, after all, even asbestos can be disposed of for a cost, and thats more lethal if it's the bad type.
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Thankyou for the suggestions. No the local tip won't take it we've tried. Good idea to ask a garage where they dispose of it.

I agree its always the governing bodies who are the worst culprits leaving everything behind.

I am trying to do the right thing here and yet no-one wants to know and if I do eventually find someone its gonna cost a lot of money :(
 
BBH said:
Thankyou for the suggestions. No the local tip won't take it we've tried. Good idea to ask a garage where they dispose of it.

I agree its always the governing bodies who are the worst culprits leaving everything behind.

I am trying to do the right thing here and yet no-one wants to know and if I do eventually find someone its gonna cost a lot of money :(
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Best bet is to take a small sample to a agricultual machinery place see if they can work out what it is maybe if you are lucky
its red diesel then its ££££$$$$ or a least taken for free.. however I would say its most likely to be waste
engine oil or contaminated/mixed fuel from miss fueling like when someone puts petrol in a diesel car and it gets sucked out .... a least if you know what its is someone can give you a price...
 
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