Remediation of a 47-hectare illegal waste dumping site, which would include waste removal, containment and site treatment could cost between £20 million and £100 million, the authorities revealed.
The Environment Minister Michelle McIlveen said, that the environmental risk assessment is complete and the next stage will involve "a costed remediation strategy detailing the remediation treatments that must be implemented at the site to meet clean up targets and thus protect the River Faughan and the wider environment". She added, that the remediation work will begin this month and is expected to be completed "by the end of spring 2017".
The estimated volume of the illegal controlled waste present at the site is estimated to be minimum 913,105 m3. Additional 252,050 m3 of controlled waste is present in the former licensed landfill, of which much of the waste has been disposed of illegally.
There are three remediation options proposed for this site, each of them is linked with different costs. The minimum cost of £20 million would reflect the containment option. The maximum option, which would cost around £100 million would include excavation and disposal option.
