Illegal dumping hotline extended

A ’Dump The Dumpers’ hotline to report litter louts is to be extended until 2008, it emerged today.

The confidential telephone service, which encourages the public to give information about illegal dumping of waste or abandoned dumps, was set up in June on a six-month pilot basis.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is now seeking tenders to roll out the service nationally until February 2008.

The 24-hour callsave 1850 365 121 number allows local authorities, the EPA or the Garda to follow up on information provided by the public.

“During 2007, the EPA will also evaluate the feasibility of extending the service to cover reporting of other environmental incidents and the successful tenderer will need to be able to demonstrate the capacity to expand the service should that be deemed necessary,” an EPA spokesman said.

The focus of the EPA’s campaign to date has been the identification of large-scale dumping sites that may still be operational or any remaining abandoned illegal dumps.

The phone service also provides a facility for the public to report fly-tipping activities.

All information is checked by the Office of Environmental Enforcement within EPA.

Serious incidents of illegal dumping like the contents of a 40 foot trailer being dumped in a field or the dumping of diesel laundering waste are reported to the Garda so that immediate action can be taken.

“The system provides a means by which complaints and incidents about illegal waste activity can be monitored, managed and reported on in a comprehensive manner.

“The system complements enhanced waste enforcement efforts currently under way in Ireland and demonstrates to the general public and other stakeholders that Irish authorities are effectively responding to complaints about illegal waste activities,” the EPA spokesman said.