Joint Fingal operation removes 130 tonnes of dumped cars, vans and trucks

A major End of Life Vehicle (ELV) operation was completed at a site at Barn Lodge in Finglas this week, as Fingal County Council’s Waste Enforcement Unit removed 80 cars and 65 commercial vehicles from the Dublin 11 site.

A total of 130 tonnes of waste was removed as part of the operation and brought to a licensed waste facility for disposal.

Barn Lodge inside the illegal ELV dumping site

According to the council, the vehicles which were abandoned were being illegally dismantled causing environmental pollution.

Burning of waste was also taking place on site.

Hazardous and illegal disposal of vehicles at Barn Lodge

Once cleared the site was secured using security fencing and earth berms to prevent re-entry.

A combination of waste enforcement inspections, drone surveys and Garda patrols will be utilised to prevent further illegal activity at the site.

A multi-agency approach was used involving An Garda Siochana, Customs, Social Protection, the Roads Safety Authority, the Waste Enforcement Regional Leads Authority (WERLA), the National Transfrontier Shipment Office (NTFSO), Fingal Waste Enforcement officers and vehicle assessors.

Deputy Mayor of Fingal Cllr Daniel Whooley said: “This was a significant and highly successful operation to undertake alongside key enforcement agencies in Fingal. It is utterly unacceptable that there is this level of waste crime going on, particularly given the often-hazardous materials involved and the fact that owners of old cars can deposit these free-of-charge at an authorised centre.

“This type of illegal dumping not only costs huge sums of money to clear up but it also poses a serious hazard to the environment and communities across Fingal. I’d like to thank all those involved in tackling this blight on our community and for helping make sure we can find and quickly stop these criminal operations from taking place.”

Dave Storey, Director of Environment, Climate Change & Active Travel at Fingal County Council said: “Being able to rid the area of this unauthorised dumping of ELVs is a big win for us as this was fast turning into a junkyard for old cars. Targeting this type of criminal activity remains high on our agenda, so I’m thankful for the great inter-agency cooperation that has made this operation possible.”

It’s the owner’s legal responsibility to bring their scrap car to an authorised treatment facility (ATF) who can safely dispose of the vehicle and issue a certificate of destruction. ATF’s are permitted facilities authorised to treat and recover end of life vehicles. They have the necessary infrastructure for handing ELV’s so that they’re dismantled in an environmentally friendly manner with hazardous materials removed.

Tackling unauthorised ELV sites is a National Waste Enforcement Priority for 2021, as they pose a significant risk to the environment. ELV’s contain a range of hazardous materials such as lead acid batteries, catalytic convertors and fluids including lubricating oil, coolant, brake fluid which can have a significant impact on the environment if not depolluted and disposed of properly.

Fingal’s Waste Enforcement Unit continue to focus efforts on illegal ELV yards with 60 sites cleared and closed down within the past two years as part of an ongoing ELV project. For vehicles found illegally dumped, a fixed payment notice will be issued to the registered owner or upon summary conviction in the district court a fine of up to €5,000 can apply.

Owners of old cars can deposit these free-of-charge at an ATF, with three located within Fingal:

• Gannon’s City Recovery & Recycling Services Ltd: www.gannonscityrecovery.ie
• Industrial, Agri & Engineering Salvage Ltd. (IAES): www.scrapmycar.ie
• St. Margaret’s Recycling and Transfer Centre Ltd.: www.stmargaretsrecycling.ie

Further information on End of Life Vehicles is available at ELVES or by contacting Fingal County Council’s Environment Section on  environment@fingal.ie.