Mobuoy illegal dump in Derry: Public consultation being planned

Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Environment and Regeneration Committee received an update on the Mobuoy landfill site at its February meeting.

Approximately 1.6m tonnes of waste was illegally dumped at the site close to the River Faughan, which supplies 60 per cent of Derry’s drinking water.

At this month’s meeting, members were informed that the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) have approved a public consultation on the draft remediation strategy, which council intends to launch in early spring.

The updated report stated: “We are planning for two public engagements sessions, the details of which are currently being formalised.

“NIEA (The Northern Ireland Environment Agency) are progressing the plans for the consultation launch and will host a workshop for elected members on the draft remediation strategy.”

The report also highlighted ongoing issues with antisocial behaviour at the site, and noted that no pollution incidents in the River Faughan have been reported by members of the public or identified through monitoring carried out under the Environmental Monitoring Programme (EMP).

DUP Alderman Julie Middleton said Mobuoy should “always be high on our priority list”.

She added: “I welcome the upcoming consultation, I await further updates to come, and I’m glad to see that two public engagement sessions have been planned.

“I hope a wide range of methods will be employed to local people, so as many can know about it as possible.”

“Finally I am so glad to know that the drinking water remains safe, [and] we have the assurance that everything is good at present.”

Andrew Balfour,

Local Democracy Reporter.