Following a report into illegal dumping at Campsie outside Derry, Environment Minister Mark H Durkan has revealed details of an action plan to tackle the problem throughout the North.
Environment Minister Mark H Durkan.
Giving his formal response to the findings of the Mills report into both the illegal dump and waste management in Northern Ireland, Mr Durkan said “tough and effective waste crime enforcement is critical” to counteract the practice.
Minister Alex Attwood commissioned the Mills report after he closed a major waste facility at Campsie, following a criminal investigation by the Department of the Environment (DOE).
An estimated total of 516,000 tonnes of macerated waste was discovered by Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) officers in an area adjacent to the River Faughan in the townland of Mobuoy.
The illegal waste was deposited in an area stretching to almost 1.4km.
Key actions to be taken include:
:: the creation of a new Resource Efficiency Directorate staffed by officers with appropriate skills within the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA).
:: a review of the current legislative framework for waste management.
All of the actions are to be completed by the end of June.
Speaking in the Assembly today, Mr Durkan also revealed he was developing a Better Regulation Bill to transform the overall approach to environmental regulation in Northern Ireland.
He revealed details of an action plan already in place.
These include:
:: a regime of targeted inspections to ensure all waste operators comply with the law;
:: a new partnership with local government so that local councils and NIEA share information, resources and strategies to manage waste properly;
:: innovation partnerships with Northern Ireland businesses to help them stop creating waste and cut costs.
He added: “Further, a new Bill, the Better Regulation Bill, will help us because it will transform our environmental regulatory systems by creating the capacity for the Department to issue one streamlined integrated permit to a business.
“It will also give NIEA uniform inspection powers meaning that an individual officer will be authorised to inspect against all environmental regulations rather than only a limited number as at present.
“This will mean the same number of NIEA officers will be able to carry out a significantly increased overall number of inspections and in a much more targeted way.
“Tough and effective waste crime enforcement is critical. We must be vigilant and fearless in chasing people who deliberately set out to make money by damaging our environment, our communities and our legitimate businesses through illegal waste dumping, fuel laundering and other forms of waste crime. It is unacceptable and must be eliminated.”
He concluded: “The actions that I have announced today will set in motion a transformation in resource efficiency and waste management in Northern Ireland.”
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