Write a commentNearly 1000 tyres were dumped in the south Armagh area last week and Slieve Gullion Councillor, Terry Hearty has said that the perpetrators who dumped in three different locations need to be identified and face the full rigours of the law.
Cllr Hearty said "I am totally and utterly disgusted at these acts of environmental crime. We have had over 1000 tyres dumped at the entrance of the lawns on Liscalgot road. The entrance is used regularly by walkers, its a scenic place and a tourist attraction.
“On Cregganbane Road we had 200 tyres dumped in a farmers entrance which blocked the farmer from feeding his livestock. Further up the Cregganbane road was up on 300 tyres dumped out and completely blocking the road."
Commenting on the harm being done Cllr Hearty said “Those involves in this criminal activity have absolutely no respect for our community or for our environment.
There is so much being done in the area to promote tourism and then dispicable acts like this does so much harm”.
“I am asking anyone that has cameras outside their house to see if they can get any sighting of the vehicle involved in this dumping.
"We believe it to be a small Isuzu tipper lorry with a white cab and a blue body. There is also sightings of a transit van being involved.
"We need the help of the public to put an end to this. We don't intend to be a dumping ground for anyone's waste.
"On Thursday night we had a lorry load of mattresses dumped out just off Concession Road, an area known as the Casacam Road, completely blocking it”.
Commenting on the processing of tracing tyre ownership and the responsibility of garages to dispose of the tyres legally, Terry said,
“Last Saturday night on the Drumbee Road we had a lorry load of tyres tipped out onto a farmers field. It's difficult to understand why there is no traceability where these tyres are coming from.
"They all have serial numbers and were sold to some garage. These garages charge between 3 and 4 pound to dispose of these tyres properly for recycling and we believe that they are paying 50p per tyre to a number of young people in the area to dump these out.
“I don't know if the people involved realise the harm they are doing to our area but the people that's getting these young fellas to dump them out certainly know what they are doing and they are not dumping on their door step."
Concluding the Slieve Gullion Councillor urged once again for people to work together to apprehend those involved “I share the anger and frustrated of all about these acts of environmental vandalism and again I am asking the community to check all CCTV they have at their house, or anyone that came on a lorry or a van on any of our by roads to get numbers and details. Working together we can put an end to this”
