Delta Skips Ltd fined £17,000 for waste offences

Delta Skips Ltd, of Upper Springfield Road, Belfast, was fined £17,000 (plus £34 court costs) at Belfast Magistrates’ Court today for breaches of waste management legislation.

A Director of Delta Skips Ltd, Mr William McQuillan, pleaded guilty to three charges under the Waste and Contaminated Land (NI) Order 1997.

Delta Skips Ltd also agreed to pay £6,400 to the Department for loss of revenue resulting from failure to pay the required Waste Management Licence fees and the Planning approval fee.

Officers from the Environment and Heritage Service (now the Northern Ireland Environment Agency) visited the site at Upper Springfield Road Belfast on 13 April 2007 and 4 September 2007. Officers observed approximately 600 tonnes of controlled waste including wood, metal, tyres, electrical waste, food waste, green waste, gas cylinders and construction and demolition waste.

Mr McQuillan was repeatedly asked to contact the Department in order to discuss the situation at the site, however the Department never received a response from the company. Delta Skips Ltd was also issued with statutory notices by the Department on 12 September and 15 November 2007, to which they also failed to respond.

During the course of the investigation by EHS officers, the site was found to be in such a condition that it had the potential to cause a harm to human health due to the significant deposits of domestic and food waste present which had attracted vermin and other pests. This site is less than 100 metres from a large residential development and had no appropriate containment measures in place at the time of the site visits. There is no waste management authorisation in force for the site at Upper Springfield Road.

Notes to Editors

1. The charges related to breaches of the following Articles of the Waste & Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997.

2. Delta Skips was fined £2,000 under one count of Article 4(1)(a):

Between 1January 2007 and 5 September 2007, depositing controlled waste, or knowingly causing or knowingly permitting controlled waste to be deposited in or on any land unless a waste management licence authorising the deposit is in force and the deposit is in accordance with the licence.

Delta Skips was fined £7,500 under one count of Article 4(1)(b):

Between 1January 2007 and 5 September 2007, kept controlled waste or knowingly causing or permitting controlled waste to be kept on land except under and in accordance with a waste management licence.

Delta Skips was fined £7,500 under one count of Article 4(1)(c):

Between 1January 2007 and 5 September 2007, kept controlled waste in a manner likely to cause pollution to the environment or harm to human health.

3. The statutory notices issued were an Article 44 Notice directing Delta Skips Ltd to supply the Department with information relating to the site and an Article 27 Notice directing the waste material to be removed from the site.

4. For media inquiries please contact DOE Press Office 028 9054 0014 or out of office hours, contact the EIS Duty Press Officer on pager 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.