Campaign Launched To Tackle Fuel Dumping

A campaign has been launched to tackle pollution caused by the dumping of fuel laundering waste in Northern Ireland.

Environment Minister Alex Attwood has launched the campaign to draw attention to the environmental dangers caused by the dumping.

This will be the first time the DOE has joined with Crimestoppers as a means to tackle the problem.

The main point of the campaign is to encourage vigilance and the reporting of fuel dumpers to the police.

The Minister said: "The dumping of fuel laundering waste, a toxic mix of highly polluting chemicals, is a crime that affects us all. Not only does it damage and pollute the environment but disposing of the waste is a significant drain on our resources, diverting money from other services such as roads, hospitals and schools.

"Reckless criminals are polluting our land, our air, our water and our wildlife, as well as risking our health. The key to stopping this dumping lies in obtaining information on the people who do it. Crimestoppers offers a completely safe, confidential and untraceable means for people to report crime."

He added: "Hardly a week goes by without one of these incidents and so today I am asking everyone to help us stop this crime. If you see this waste being dumped, please tell us whatever you can - where, when, how much, and who. You can report dumping of fuel laundering waste, completely anonymously, to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. We owe it to future generations to do what we can to stop this poisoning of our environment."

(IT/GK)