Householders warned of 'backyard burning' dangers

Householders must realise that burning rubbish illegally in backyards can have deadly health effects, an Oireachtas Committee heard today.

Experts from local authorities in Counties Meath, Cork and Dublin today briefed the Environment & Local Government Committee on measures to promote household recycling.

Cork City Council senior engineer Gerard Walsh detailed the hazards of ’backyard burning’ in local communities.

The Environment Department estimates that up to 60,000 tonnes of waste is being burned illegally in backyards across the state every year.

“There is very strenuous opposition to incineration but there is a major problem with backyard burning,” Mr Walsh told the all-party body.

Belgian firm, Indaver has received planning permission and a licence for a hazardous waste incinerator in Ringaskiddy, Co Cork.

Mr Walsh added: “It’s difficult to convince people that incineration is better than backyard burning.”

Speaking after today’s meeting, Mr Walsh explained that burning plastic can emit chemicals like benzine which can cause cancer as well as irritate respiratory systems.

“Burning plastics at low temperatures is very dangerous. As well as dioxins like benzine, it can emit microscopic particles that stain and irritate the lungs,” he noted.

Cork City Council’s recycling initiatives prevented 19,000 tonnes of waste going to landfill in 2005, the Committee heard.

Mr Walsh said the local authority will recycle 85 tonnes of Christmas trees during January at the green waste composting facility at the Kinsale Road landfill site.

Committee members also called for greater supervision at recycling sites to prevent illegal dumping and vandalism.

Senator Michael Brennan said: “Some people can be very filthy in their habits.”

Meath Co Council senior executive officer Michael Griffin said it was difficult to persuade members of the public to appear as witnesses to help prosecute litter offenders.

A call management system in the Co Meath local authority received 1,400 complaints on illegal dumping in 2005. He added that two-thirds of 600 on-the-spot fines were paid and there were 20 prosecutions.

“Unless the person is seen depositing the waste or a member of the public is willing to stand forward as a witness, we have great difficulty in obtaining convictions,” he said.

“In many cases we have somebody who reports seeing somebody depositing litter but when we put it before the courts, at that stage people back off.”

Mr Griffin added that CCTV systems were brought in to catch people who dump at recycling sites.

“Litter wardens supervise bring banks on weekly basis,” he explained.

“People who want to dispose of their refuse tend not to arrive during working hours. To that end we have started to use covert CCTV systems to see if we can identify some of their culprits.”

Senator James Bannon said that TDs from the local authority areas should be invited to Oireachtas Committee meetings where facilities in their constituencies are discussed.

Mr Walsh of Cork City Council also pointed out that a lack of paper recycling facilities in Ireland was wasteful and a lost business opportunity.

Up to 60 containers of waste paper leave Cork Harbour every Friday for China, he explained.

“I would imagine its going through Dublin as well. This could be dealt with there. It is a lot of waste,” he said.

Committee members also urged newspaper firms to contribute towards the cost of recycling of paper.