Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to detail the most recent annual estimate for the amount of waste deposited illegally in Northern Ireland.
Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs: The Northern Ireland Environment Agency’s Environmental Crime Unit (ECU) is focused on investigating and pursuing offenders involved in the illegal depositing of waste.
ECU focuses its resources on those cases which present the most significant risk to the environment and public health, in line with the DAERA Enforcement Policy, such as the disposal of larger quantities of waste or the disposal of hazardous waste.
Where sufficient evidence is available ECU will conduct criminal investigations in pursuit of offenders responsible for conducting unlawful activities relating to controlled waste under the Waste and Contaminated Land (NI) Order 1997 (The 1997 Act).
In 2024 ECU secured 11 convictions relating to the illegal depositing, keeping, treating and disposal of approximately 16,807.80 tonnes of controlled waste.
ENDS
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