Large illegal dumps are thing of past - EPA report

A major report on illegal waste operations in the Republic has concluded that large-scale illegal dumping of the type uncovered in Co Wicklow in recent years is no longer taking place.

The report to be published this morning by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also found that illegal cross-Border movement of waste "has reduced significantly" and there was "no evidence of significant mismanagement of hazardous waste".

Entitled The Nature and Extent of Unauthorised Waste in Ireland, the report is the first comprehensive statement of illegal waste-handling in the Republic, and the first major report of the EPA's Office of Environmental Enforcement. It lists 25 unauthorised dumps across the State and 15 unauthorised waste-handling facilities - three of which were operated by local authorities.

However, the Office of Environmental Enforcement has acknowledged that many more (initially unauthorised) dumps which were discovered and subsequently authorised - including the large-scale dump at The Ballast Pit in Co Kildare and Coolamadra in Co Wicklow - have been omitted from the list.

The list also omits 18 unauthorised dumps which were the subject of judgment against Ireland by the European Court of Justice. A further seven which are before the court are also omitted from the list of 25.

A third category of dumps, those operating before the application of the Waste Management regulations in 1997, were also excluded from the list.

The report named just eight sites where there was landfilling of household waste - three in both Co Monaghan and Co Wicklow, one in Co Cork and one in Co Meath. It identified the construction industry as being the greatest offender in terms of the waste management regulations, with more than 80 per cent of the waste uncovered coming from building sites.

The Office of Environmental Enforcement found that small-time waste-collectors continued to be a problem in more than 50 per cent of local authorities. It also noted the presence of organised fly-tipping - the dumping of van-loads of rubbish - on the edges of major population centres such as Dublin, Galway and Limerick.

Concern was also expressed that more than one-fifth of all households did not have, or were not availing of, a waste-collection service in 2003. This could amount to 270,000 tonnes of waste in any one year.

The report is critical of "backyard burning" which it said contributes to 50 per cent of all dioxin emissions in Ireland. Backyard burning is more prevalent in rural Ireland.

It is also critical of local authorities, including South Dublin and Dún Laoghaire County Councils, which it notes were themselves in contravention of the Waste Management Act.

In relation to Northern Ireland, the report says the cross-Border movement of waste from as far away as Cork became significant in 2002 but, following "concerted actions" on both sides of the Border, this practice was now "sporadic". Eight shipments of waste were repatriated from Northern Ireland during 2004, as well as 42 shipments from Belgium and Holland.

The Office of Environmental Enforcement said the information gleaned in the investigation has been used to prepare an action plan for dealing with all manner of illegal waste.