Eimear FlanaganBBC News NI
BBC
The contaminated Mobuoy dump is thought to cover more than 100 acres of land
People concerned about the thousands of tonnes of rubbish dumped at an illegal landfill site outside Londonderry have been questioning the clean-up plan.
The Mobuoy dump, discovered in 2013 just over two miles outside the city, was one of the largest illegal landfill sites in Europe.
Criminals had buried domestic and construction waste at the former quarry in Campsie, near the bank of a river which supplies much of Derry’s drinking water.
Although there is no evidence the River Faughan has been contaminated, experts were hired to find the best way to deal with the rubbish and protect the waterway.
A poster on display at Wednesday’s public meeting
Residents have been hearing from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) about what can be done to clear the site during a public meeting in Eglinton Community Centre on Wednesday.
The proposals were released as part of a public consultation which opened in June.
Some of the rubbish will have to be dug up and removed because the disused quarry is not an appropriate place to store industrial waste.
Rachel Hamill and Maeve Foley, from NIEA’s Invasive Non-Native Species team, are among those at Eglinton Community Centre
However, the Department of Environment, Agriculture and Rural Affairs (Daera) has said digging up all the waste may not be the best way to protect the environment.
It advised some of the construction debris dumped at the site – concrete, bricks and glass – could remain in place as those materials do not cause water pollution.
Regular tests show surface water in the Faughan is not affected, but groundwater under the landfill is polluted and the aim is to prevent this leaching into the river.
‘Will it impact us building a house?’
Robert Ross is in the process of buying a site for a house about a mile from the Mobuoy dump
Among members of the public looking for answers about the clean-up is Robert Ross, a father-of-one from Strathfoyle.
He is in the process of buying a site for a house about a mile from the Mobuoy dump as the crow flies.
“I just wanted to find out what’s happening, how long is the timeframe for doing it and will it impact us in building [a house]?”
He added: “We seem to be far enough away but with toxic waste you just don’t know.”
After speaking to a few of the experts, Mr Ross said there were “plenty of people talking” but “no solid answers” as yet.
However, he said he appreciated the effort that had gone into the consultation event and said the experts involved were “doing a good job”.
“It’s good that they have some sort of information available rather than just depending on the internet,” he said.
What was dumped at Mobuoy?
Martin McKeown
Gerard Farmer (left) and Paul Doherty were sentenced in June
Investigations at the site indicate an estimated 1.6m tonnes of waste was present at the site, some 627,000 tonnes of which was believed to have been dumped illegally.
The area of polluted ground stretches to about 100 acres, or the equivalent of about 65 – 70 football pitches.
Some of the rubbish dates back as far as the 1960s but the illegal waste was linked to two businessmen who were jailed for their role in the scandal earlier this year.
Gerard Farmer, 56, of Westlake in Derry, was jailed for 21 months in June and his co-defendant – Paul Doherty, 67, of Culmore Road, Londonderry, was jailed for a year.
Both men had pleaded guilty to waste offences carried out between 2011 and 2013.
The rubbish was deposited across two parcels of land used by their firms – the Campsie Sand and Gravel company and the City Industrial Waste firm.
The judge at Londonderry Crown Court said both defendants had “acted deliberately” and been “entirely motivated by financial gain”.
The court was told that the amount of waste illegally disposed of could potentially have generated £30m for Doherty’s company, Campsie Sand & Gravel Ltd.
For Farmer’s firm, City Industrial Waste Ltd, the potential sum was more than £13m.
How much will it cost to fix the damage?
The figure for the potential repair bill is contained in 2022/23 accounts from Daera which were published in February 2024.
They estimate a cost range of between £17m and £700m.
The public consultation was opened by Daera on 13 June and will close on 2 October.
The department hopes those with an interest in how the site can be remedied will respond to the consultation.
On Wednesday, a community event, organised by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), will take place in Eglinton Community Centre from 12:00 to 19:00 BST.
Another event is set to take place on 10 September.