Local authority forced to recover refuse sues haulier

A LOCAL authority forced to take back almost 40 tonnes of waste found dumped illegally in the North is taking legal action against the company alleged to have transported the refuse across the Border.

Wexford County Council was embarrassed last September when a student’s CV in the Gorey area was found among 100 tonnes of domestic and commercial waste dumped on land not licensed to accept such waste.

The discovery was made by residents living close to the lands at Park Road, near Strabane, after they complained about smells from the site. Now Wexford County Council is bidding to recover the cost it

incurred in accepting back close to 40 tonnes of the waste in October. The haulier involved transported the waste in three trucks and is believed to work in the South.

At the time the waste was discovered, the site at Strabane was licensed to accept dry rubble only and not household or commercial waste, as was deposited at the site.

Following the discovery of the waste, Strabane District Council issued a notice to the operator of the site requesting the removal and disposal of the waste to a licensed site.

Under powers of the Waste Management Regulations 1988, the Northern local authority sought to have the waste returned to Wexford. On October 6, 36 tonnes of waste was returned to the Wexford county landfill at Killurin.