Waste firm interestedin Mobuoy

The site was shut down in June 2012 amidst claims of “immense and appalling” unlawful waste activity following a year long investigation into suspected illegal dumping.

Pollution has since been detected in a Faughan tributary that flows past the facility and a report by former Welsh Environment Agency chief Chris Mills into the site claimed “an estimate of the tax evaded due to the illegal dumping at Mobuoy is a minimum of £34.6 million.”

Only last week Ex-Environment Minister Alex Attwood claimed those responsible for the suspected illegal dumping got £50m out of the “biggest waste dump in the history of these islands.”Now it has emerged the NIEA may be open to the site being brought back into use.

A DOE spokesperson confirmed: “The NIEA has been approached by a Waste Management Company, who has expressed an interest in applying for a licence for the site at Mobuoy Road, Campsie, Derry.

“Initial discussions have taken place. The company has been informed from the outset that there is no guarantee that any application will be successful.

“It should be noted, if such an application were to be received for this site, not only would it face the normal stringent process for consideration, it would also have to take account of the requirement to remove the significant amount of wastes and polluting matters so that the highest levels of environmental protection are put in place to protect the Faughan River and its local tributaries.”

Despite the engagement no planning application has yet been submitted.

“The applicant must also have the relevant planning permissions. However, no application has as yet been received for the site.

“Whilst NIEA continues to actively pursue enforcement and cost recovery associated with the criminal activity, it is also managing the issues of significant deposits of illegal waste in the area,” the spokesperson stated.