Questions Remain Unanswered For Derry City Council And Stormont Over Illegal Dumping Sites
Almost one year has passed since the jailing of two Derry men accused of operating one of the largest illegal waste dumps in Europe. The illegal dumping sites at Mobuoy on the outskirts of Derry City encompass an area of more than 100 acres (equal in size to over 70 football pitches). The sites were first discovered in 2013, but it took another eleven years before the men were tried and found guilty.
The sites are estimated to contain more than 1.6 million tonnes of waste, including a staggering 630,000 tonnes of industrial and domestic waste, which is estimated to have generated nearly £40 million for the companies owned by the two men.
It has recently emerged that at least £100 million, and up to a staggering £700 million, will be needed to clean up the contaminated site, with initial works unlikely to commence until 2028 at the earliest. Even then, remedial works could take at least another five years to complete. Meanwhile, people living in the area have ongoing concerns about the threat of pollution from the illegal dumping sites and fear the impact that pollution could have upon their daily lives.
The fact that the two sites had been operating for a number of years before their discovery in 2013 raises far-reaching questions for Derry City Council and several Stormont departments. Which local and state authorities should have been examining what was taking place at the site? When did the illegal dumping first commence? Who was involved, who knew about it, when were concerns first raised? Those questions cannot be permitted to remain unanswered!