200 vehicles removed after Major End of Life Vehicle operation undertaken at Dunsink Lane yesterday

With support from contractors, recovery operators and vehicles assessors a total of 200 End of Life Vehicles were removed off site and brought to authorised treatment facilities (ATF’s) for recycling and disposal. As part of the operation 140 tonnes of illegally dumped waste was also removed.

The operation involved a multi-agency approach with An Garda Siochana, Customs, the Department of Social Protection and the Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authority (WERLA). A combination of CCTV monitoring, waste enforcement inspections and Garda surveillance will be utilised to prevent further illegal ELV activity on Dunsink Lane.

Investigations are ongoing and if sufficient evidence is obtained fines will be issued and prosecutions initiated under the Waste Management Act 1996 and the Litter Pollution Act 1997 as amended.  For the 200 scrap cars that were found illegally dumped fines will be issued to the registered owners.

ATF’s are permitted facilities authorised to treat and recover end of life vehicles (known as scrap cars). They have the necessary infrastructure for storing, treating and recovering ELV’s. Depositing a vehicle at an ATF ensures that the vehicle will be dismantled in an environmentally friendly manner, with all hazardous material removed, before the vehicle is crushed.

The Mayor of Fingal, Cllr. David Healy said: "This was a necessary operation to ensure the proper dismantling of an unauthorised and environmentally harmful operation. Unauthorised storage and dismantling of end of life vehicles (ELVs - disused cars and goods vehicles) poses a significant risk to the environment. ELVs contain many hazardous materials such as lead acid batteries, lubricating oil, coolant, brake fluid, and catalytic convertors, all of which must be disposed of safely in order to prevent pollution.

I'm delighted to see such effective action by Fingal County Council's Waste Enforcement Division. I commend them and the other agencies (An Garda Siochana, Customs, the Department of Social Protection and the Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authority) involved.

Fingal County Council is committed to protecting our soils and waters from waste pollution. Citizens can play their part by reporting illegal waste operations to Fingal County Council - Environment Section Tel: 01 8905000."

Ethna Felten, Director of Environment and Climate Action at Fingal County Council, said: “Unauthorised End of Life Vehicle (ELV) sites have been highlighted as a National Waste Enforcement Priority for local authorities across the country. Unauthorised storage and dismantling of ELV’s poses a significant risk to the environment. The Waste Enforcement Division plan to regularise/close all unauthorised sites operating without planning permission and/or a waste facility permit during 2020.”

It is the registered owner’s legal responsibility to bring an end of life vehicle to an authorised treatment facility (ATF) who will dispose of the vehicle and give the owner a certificate of destruction. A cert of destruction ensures that no further transactions such as change of ownership can be processed against the vehicle. Failure to do this can result in a €100 fine.

There are three authorised treatment facilities in Fingal where you can bring your old car for recycling free of charge:

1/ Gannon’s City Recovery & Recycling Services Ltd. Web: www.gannonscityrecovery.ie

2/ Industrial, Agri & Engineering Salvage Ltd. (IAES). Web: www.scrapmycar.ie

3/ St. Margaret’s Recycling and Transfer Centre Ltd. Web: www.stmargaretsrecycling.ie

Further information on End of Life Vehicles is available at ELVES: https://www.elves.ie/How-to-Recycle or by contacting Fingal County Council - Environment Section Tel: 01 8905000.