New bid to tackle illegal dumping

Published Wednesday, 08 February 2012

Environment Minister Alex Attwood has launched a new initiative to tackle illegal dumping in Northern Ireland, which will enable people to pass anonymous tips on to authorities about offenders.

Fly-tipping harms the environment and the economy, the DOE says. (© UTV)

The DOE is teaming up with the UK-wide Crimestoppers charity in a bid to solve the waste problem which is harming the local environment.

Members of the public with information on fly-tippers will now be able to blow the whistle on alleged crimes without having personal details taken.

Mr Attwood explained the new partnership: "Illegal waste is big business which threatens our environment, our health and our economy.

"Unscrupulous businesses are taking huge sums of money from all of us that could otherwise be used for schools, hospitals and roads.

"Working with Crimestoppers will help us tackle the illegal dumping of waste materials, including hazardous chemicals, scrap metal and tyres, which harm the environment."

The SDLP minister said people in the past may have been hesitant to report such crimes, or may not have known how to do so.

However he hopes the new partnership will simplify the process and help Crimestoppers and the DOE catch environmental criminals.

He continued: "I want to reassure you, if you suspect anyone is involved in illegal waste activity - carrying, dumping or burying large amounts of waste - you will not be put at risk if you report it, so please help us protect your community's environment, health and quality of life and call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."

Susan Brew, Northern Ireland Crimestoppers regional manager has welcomed the initiative and hopes "valuable information" will be passed on.

She said: "Crimestoppers' anonymity promise, which has never been broken, means no personal details are taken from the caller, no calls are traced or recorded and people are not required to give evidence in court."

The joint partnership has been made possible using recycled environmental criminal assets, with the agency benefiting from a percentage of all confiscation orders secured against environmental offenders.

Crimestoppers can also be contacted anonymously via the online reporting form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

Comments

6 Comments

angler in tyrone wrote (106 days ago):

To J Devlin- If you have any concerns about water pollution in your local area, or want to report a water pollution incident, you should contact the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) Water Pollution Hotline. NIEA maintains a 24 hour, 365 days a year water pollution hotline: Telephone 0800 807060

water pollution in Tyrone wrote (106 days ago):

In response to J Devlins comment below there is a way to report all incidents of water pollution. Such incidents can be reported to directly to the NIEA water pollution hotline on 0800807060. This hotline operates 24hrs, 7 days a week.

Tomc in Belfast wrote (106 days ago):

Preeti - wrong post. Rubbish ; The council should have moved on that one. Regardless of where rubbish is tipped, private land or not, the local authority have bye laws which should be enacted. The police can't do anything in relation to it but the council certainly can.

J Devlin in Mid Ulster wrote (106 days ago):

IT would be nice if this idea would extend to cover our rivers,loughs and waterways which are being destroyed.Aquatic life,fishstock and wildlife are being wiped out despite lots of good work being done by conservation bodies and lots of the damage is caused by illegal dumping.

Preeti in India wrote (106 days ago):

Genetic scientists are altering life itself. The products of genetic-engineering are living organisms that could never have evolved naturally and do not have a natural habitat. These human-made organisms can reproduce and interbreed with natural organisms, thereby spreading to new environments and future generations in an unpredictable and uncontrollable way. Documentary - "Life Running Out of Control" explores the progressive and continual genetic manipulation of plants, animals and human beings: Due to a disastrous crop with genetically modified cotton many Indian farmers face ruin, have to sell one of their kidneys or resort to committing suicide. To watch please visit - http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/696

More Comments

^ Top of Comments