MSP Alex Rowley is to meet with officials from SEPA today over the future £1million clean-up at an illegal tip at Lathalmond.

The 30-feet high rubbish dump, blighted with old carpets and plasterboard next to the Scottish Vintage Bus Museum near Kelty, has been an environmental eyesore for years.

Mr Rowley was due to meet with a specialist clean-up company yesterday ahead of a meeting on Friday with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).

Two men were prosecuted over the issue in 2016 but the site remains a dump and the estimated cost of cleaning the site is around £1m. The duo went out of business and making them pay will be tough so it remains unclear if a solution can be found and who will fund it.

Mr Rowley told the Press this week: “SEPA has the powers to clean the site and recover the costs. I’m assuming that they will have been looking at the available options to them and the purpose of Friday’s meeting is to find out what options they have.”

Ian Buchanan, head of environmental performance from SEPA, said: “Every day, SEPA works hard to protect and enhance Scotland’s environment and we remain firmly focussed on finding a solution for the full and final clearance of the Lathalmond site.

“SEPA is actively exploring options and opportunities to secure removal of the material and working closely with Fife Council to achieve this.

“While this work continues, SEPA is actively monitoring the Lathalmond site for any current or emerging environmental impacts, which at present remain low.”

The site at the entrance to the Lathalmond M90 Commerce Park was operated by First Option Services, who specialised in recycling materials including carpets, plastics and plasterboard until the business ceased trading in June 2012.

The two men in charge of the company, Michael Hope and James Winters, received community payback orders at Dunfermline Sheriff Court in June 2016 after admitting keeping controlled waste – approximately 3,500 tonnes of waste carpet and 3,500 tonnes of waste plasterboard – in a manner likely to cause pollution of the environment or harm to human health.

No orders were made to clear the site and SEPA and Fife Council have so far been unable to resolve the issue. Mr Rowley said that under European law, it would be the polluters of the site that pay the costs.

“Whether that’s an option following the owners of the business park going out of business, I’m not sure”, he said.

Concerns have also been raised by local residents and businesses and Mr Rowley said: “Fears were brought to me that the place could be overrun with vermin following the clean-up.

“I asked Fife Council about this and they said there’s no vermin there, so that’s positive news if that’s indeed the case.”

A spokesperson for Fife Council said that they carried out checks around the perimeter of the site, as the area itself is locked, and found “no permanent infestations”.