A Cornish family pleaded guilty at Truro Crown Court to running a series of illegal waste dumping businesses at a former small holding near St Austell.
The case brought by Environment Agency and Devon and Cornwall Police revealed several thousand tonnes of waste had been dumped on land at Rocks Farm, Bugle between 2003 – 2011.
It was burnt, sorted, buried and recycled. They also let out 51 caravans at the site which they did not have a permit to operate.
Skips were used to bring in waste including soil, wood and metal for recycling. Between 2007 and 2011 the Environment Agency estimated that more than 4,500 cubic metres of material had been land filled at Rocks Farm.
The owners had no planning permission or necessary permits from the Environment Agency.
Eight members of the family, who are to be sentenced in January, were arrested at Rocks farm in June 2011 in a joint operation by police and Environment Agency.
Leeroy Buckland, Shane Buckland, James Crocker, Karl Buckland pleaded guilty to depositing waste without a permit.
Shirley Buckland pleaded guilty to knowingly permitting the deposit of waste without a permit.
Roseanne Buckland, Jason Buckland and Paul Crocker admitted to the keeping/treating/recycling and/or disposal of waste without a permit.
Shirley Buckland also admitted to the discharge of sewage effluent from caravans without a permit, which is an offence under the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2010.
