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Gallahger: Illegal waste sites must be finally dealt with

SDLP Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA Tommy Gallagher has welcomed an announcement by the Environment Minister that illegal waste, dumped at two sites in Garrison and Trillick, is expected to be repatriated to the Republic this Autumn

Tue 16th March

Edwin Poots told the NI Assembly on Tuesday that following a report from the North South Ministerial Council, work is expected to commence on the removal of the illegal waste at Slattinagh, Garrison, Co Fermanagh, and Moneygar Road, Trillick, Co Tyrone, by the end of September or early October 2010.

 

Mr Gallagher, who has campaigned for the removal of both waste dumps for a considerable time, said he hoped health and environmental problems would not arise from the length of time taken to repatriate the waste.

 

He said: “I welcome that, hopefully, after a considerable length of time since the waste was dumped it may be removed by Dublin City Council, which is the lead authority on cross-border waste issues.

 

“However, I have concerns that due to the length of time the waste has been left at both sites there may be health and environmental concerns arising. There is a danger that leachate, a toxic by-product of dumped waste, could permeate the water table and enter the river system and ultimately drinking water.

 

 

“We need to take lessons from how these matters are dealt with. These are only two of many sites dotted across the north that are potentially hazardous to both the environment and the general public. Both sites at Garrison and Trillick were not dealt with expediently, indeed the initial court case into the site at Trillick occurred in 2005.

 

“I call on the Environment Minister to ensure these dates are the final dates we will have to this issue and hope that lesson will be learned when further sites are looked at.”

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