There have been a number of successful prosecutions this month for breaches of the Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order SI 1997/2778.
In the first case, Mr Derek Henry of Stewartstown was sentenced at Dungannon Magistrates' Court on two counts of illegally keeping and depositing waste and fined a total of £3,000, plus costs. On 16 November 2005, Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) officers visited his site on Annaghone Road and ordered him to clean it up. They returned on 3 separate occasions throughout 2006 and each time found more waste. The site contained approximately 360 tonnes of waste, including dead animals, plastic, car tyres, tin cans, toys, bricks, slates, car parts, green waste cuttings and wood.
Mr Samuel Maginty, trading as A1 skips of Belfast, was fined a total of £2,603 after pleading guilty to one charge of treating, keeping and disposing of waste. During an inspection on 25 May 2005, EHS officers discovered an illegal waste transfer station where waste was being stored, sorted and disposed of. The site took up part of the abandoned Ballyhill Road left over from the junction upgrade. Mr Maginty had carried out earthworks to extend the site using controlled waters.
Finally, two County Down companies have been fined £500 each, plus costs, at Castlereagh Magistrates' Court for waste disposal offences. TJ Shields and Sons pleaded guilty to treating, keeping and disposing of controlled waste without a waste management licence at a site on the Cadger Road, Carryduff. In addition, Orlock Ltd pleaded guilty to permitting the disposal of controlled waste on the same site. The offences were highlighted by EHS officers during a mobile operation in the area on 4 February 2005.
