Increase reported in illegal dumping

WHILE Councillor John Crowe claimed that there is a serious problem with dumping in the Rossmanagher Corcass/Bunratty area, a council official said that there hasn’t been a large number of complaints.

At the area council meeting, Councillor Crowe put forward a motion seeking a report on dumping in the area but in her written reply, Betty Devanney of the council’s environment department stated, “While accepting the councillor’s view as set down in the notice of motion, there is no indication that the level of unauthorised waste or litter activity has increased in the areas referred to in the notice of motion, in recent times, based on the level of complaints received and on the experience of the patrol warden for the area. The waste enforcement section will continue to monitor the areas referred to as part of ongoing environmental patrols.”
She also stated that the county council does take illegal dumping very seriously.
“Clare County Council has a dedicated waste enforcement team that, among other things, responds and takes appropriate enforcement action in relation to waste and litter complaints. Where evidence of acts of littering or illegal waste is found, then action is taken under relevant litter pollution and waste management legislation. In 2009, a total of 269 litter fines were issued and 22 prosecutions were taken under either the Litter Pollution Acts, 1997-2003 or the Waste Management Acts, 1996-2008 in the Clare County Council functional area.
“The waste enforcement section takes a proactive approach in dealing with illegal waste and litter activities, including vehicle checkpoints, use of CCTV surveillance, targeting of illegal dumping at problem locations, co-operation with area offices/general public/community groups, planned inspections of waste facilities, audits of waste collection permit holders and provision of information to the public. This enforcement action has assisted in the achievement of a 20% reduction in the number of waste and litter complaints received in 2009 when compared with the number of waste and litter complaints received in 2008.”
Also at the meeting, Councillor Gerry Flynn suggested increasing the use of CCTV to catch people engaging in illegal dumping.
He said that while he hadn’t favoured the introduction of a charge for recycling, he didn’t believe that this was what was behind the upsurge in dumping.
Councillor Patricia McCarthy said that there has been a significant increase in illegal dumping lately. “Civic mindedness has gone out the window,” she claimed.
She also said that random spot checks on how people dispose of their rubbish might be effective in reducing the problem.