The €2.4m cost of cleaning up Meath's illegally dumped waste

ANN CASEY
Illegal dumping is costing the Meath taxpayer €2.4 million annually.
This was brought into sharp focus with the recent large scale dumping on byroads at Garlow Cross near the M3/N3, which caused major distress to local residents. The clean up costs were in the region of €10,000.
The refuse left behind after a visiting Travellers encampment included old kitchen units, fridge freezers, golf carts, household electrical equipment, green waste, boxes from sheds, slates and tiles.
There were even tonne bags containing rubbish as well as large amounts of cuttings from hedges and gardens.
There are numerous ongoing incidents of illegal dumping around the county - fly tipping in ditches and bogs, dumping at bottle banks and dropping litter in the street all of which contribute to leaving the county with clean up costs of up to €2.4 million annually.

Bernadine Carry Meath County Council Environment Officer points out the finances used cleaning up after others could have been used to fund better facilities and amenities across the county.
, similar to the new playground in Kells.”
The council claim that much of the of rubbish dumped by fly-tippers has come from garage or attic clear outs or taken away by bogus collectors offering disposal services.
Items that have been found dumped around Meath include mattresses, beds, children’s toys and TVs.
Builders waste, tyres and industrial waste is often found illegally dumped down quiet country roads and even on Meath’s beaches.
There are also cases where households go out into the countryside after dark with their bag of household rubbish and just dump it on the side of the road.
“If your neighbour has no bin and doesn’t seem to go to the recycling centre, we would like to hear from you in confidence,” says Bernadine.
“These kind of incidents are heart breaking for local community groups, Tidy Towns and Pride of Place organisations, who take pride in their localities and try to keep their areas looking their very best, as well as for overworked council staff.”

Meath County council is getting tough in a bid to stop the soaring costs of illegal dumping and clean-ups.
There are currently 36 files with Meath County Council solicitors awaiting court action for litter, with other files being prepared.
In 2016, 701 incidents or evidence of littering were detected in Meath, 524 of these were via CCTV evidence at various locations throughout the county, the others were from evidence found by litter wardens.
CCTV coverage on known black-spots and reported problem areas has increased substantially with greater chance of detection and prosecution.
In the recent incident of dumping at Garlow Cross, photographs were taken and council investigators go through the rubbish to see if they can find anything with an address they can pursue.
A statutory litter fine is currently €150, after which you have 21 days to pay before a file is prepared for court.
The people who get litter fines could consider themselves lucky - the council also has the option of court, where offenders can be fined up to €4,000 and ordered to pay hefty costs.

 

Some of those caught last year include an individual who was fined €1,000, plus costs of €1,204 for the illegal dumping of a bag of domestic waste outside a housing estate in Trim. Someone caught after dumping six black bags of waste was fined €400 plus €620 costs.
An individual responsible for dumping domestic waste on the roadside was fined €350 plus costs of €1,240, while someone who threw a bag at a bottle bank was fined €150 and ordered to pay costs of €1,341.53
Bernadine Carry says some people seem to think that because bottle banks are provided, this gives them a green light to dispose of various types of waste there. 

“The council’s Environment Section often get appeals from people who say they didn’t know it was an offence to drop bags, boxes, duvets, tvs etc., at bottle banks. “An easy rule of thumb is would you drop it outside your own door? If not, bring it home and bin it.”
There have been incidents of one man dumping domestic waste on a regular basis at the bottle banks in Oldcastle. At one count he had dumped over 82 times in a six month period. This year, the council’s Environment Section will also target householders who pay the ‘man with the van’ to dispose of their waste or ‘clear out’ their rubbish. This often ends up in a field close to where it was collected.
“Bogus collectors advertising and arriving at your door offering to take your household rubbish away usually end up dumping it somewhere illegally.
“You are responsible for your waste, from when it leaves your front gate to where it ends up for disposal,” says Bernadine Carry.

 

“Under the Waste Management Regulations all waste collectors must have a valid Waste Collection Permit. If a ‘man with a van’ arrives at your gate seeking to take dispose of your waste, there is every chance that your waste will end up dumped – in a bog, in a field, on the beach.
“If the Council cleans it up you are paying on the double, paying the bogus collector and paying again through your taxes to have it cleaned. If it can be linked to you – you will pay a third time – in court.
“Do not give your waste to bogus collectors. Check their waste collection permit. Do not allow bogus collectors to profit from the destruction of your environment.
“If you are approached by a bogus collector, please report it to us in confidence,” she says.