More than 280 dumping incidents in Ni since 2019

Neal McCrakean

BBC News NI Mid Ulster Reporter

There have been more than 280 illegal asbestos dumping incidents in Northern Ireland

BBC a symbol behind a wire fence. Sign has a white background - reads red text — There have been more than 280 illegal asbestos dumping incidents in Northern Ireland

Asbestos has been illegally dumped 281 times in Northern Ireland since 2019, BBC News NI may reveal.

Asbestos was used in manufacturing materials until it was not known that fiber breathing could cause cancer, but it is only considered dangerous when it is transferred.

It is illegal to keep asbestos in domestic waste and it is believed that the dangerous waste licensed by expert contractors should be dealt with.

The Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) stated that the latest data showed that waste crime is still “a serious threat to our environment and public health”.

Millions of pounds have been paid through government compensation schemes

Asbestos are showing important figures about dumping. There is an image of a piece of yellow tape with reading black text on the left hand side — Millions of pounds have been paid through government compensation schemes

Comprehensive problem

Over 3,000 illegal dumping incidents have been reported in Northern Ireland between 2019 and 2024, including everything from scrap metal to tires.

But new data received by BBC News NI showed that after mixed waste and general construction waste, asbestos was an illegal dumping material in Northern Ireland.

The law in Northern Ireland states that a licensed removal contractor should be used for the disposal of asbestos, but it can often be an expensive process.

Since 2019, there have been more than 3,000 illegal waste dumping incidents in Ni.

Worst is a once mixed waste mixed with about 1,400 phenomena on graph -handle, which shows the type of material in waste dumping events, after -Consuction, 600 -Sabstos, 281 -Tyres -Nimal -Liquid -Liquid -Compost -Fuel -LAndering Wast -Vazardous Wast -Vazardous Metal -Gapanese Metal -Gapanese Knowed — Since 2019, there have been more than 3,000 illegal waste dumping incidents in Ni.

Failure to legally disposal of asbestos can result in prosecution and it is also a legal responsibility of landlords to protect its land to prevent any illegal waste dumping.

Antrim and Newtownabbey Council sector had the highest number of illegal asbestos dumping incidents recorded since 2019.

MPs called for one in 2022 The 40 -year time limit for all asbestos is removed from public and commercial buildings,

Allen Lewis, a director of the G&L Consultancy, a Northern Ireland company, provided the services of asbestos management and removal, said a lot of time and effort went on to make asbestos safe in removing asbestos.

,[We use] Full enclosed wind locks, negative pressure units, you are working and pulling them safely, ”he said.

“All asbestos waste needs to be packed, labeled, taken from the site and taken to the appropriate dangerous waste disposal site.”

Reacting to the asbestos dumping figures, he said: “Those numbers are more and I understand why people are worried.

“When it comes to illegal dumping, you may have situations where asbestos is being moved and not contained properly, broke on transit and dumped on the roadside.”

Asbestos was used in manufacturing materials until it was discovered that fiber breathing could cause cancer

A graphic states what asbestos is and explains its effects. It suggests that asbestos is a fiber -like material and has been banned in the UK since 1999. It states that if the material containing asbestos is damaged, it can release a good dust that contains asbestos fibers that can enter the lungs and damage them over time. — Asbestos was used in manufacturing materials until it was discovered that fiber breathing could cause cancer

A spokesman from the Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland stated that the removal of asbestos is considered “an expert activity, requiring planning, survey and assessment”.

Asbestosis and long-term, high-level exposure are required, long-tier breathing risk can cause lung disorders, such as cancer-musothelioma related to asbestos.

Symptoms of mesothelioma can take decades to develop, and it is almost always fatal.

‘Shocking’

Charity Mesothelioma UK stated that the latest figures on illegal dumping of asbestos were “extremely related”.

Chief Executive Officer Liz Darlison said, “We urge the UK government to establish a national work force to review and address every aspect of our shameful asbestos heritage.”

“Mesothelioma is the most phenomenon in the world in Britain, it can be stopped and safe management and disposal of asbestos is at the core of the problem.”

Between 2014 and 2023, Northern Ireland led to deaths related to 699 asbestos.

Niyam Hagan’s father died in 2022 immediately after the diagnosis of Mesothelioma.

Tony Rodgers died after asbestos exposure

The Rogers Family Tony Roders in a day of their wedding with his wife and daughters. Tony has short brown hair and is wearing a gray vast, silver tie and a black suit jacket over a white shirt wearing a formal wedding suit. He has golden hair among one of his daughters and is wearing a white wedding dress. Each side of the photo has brown hair in two others and is wearing a maroon bridesmaid dress. His wife, from the right, has dark brown hair with shoulder length and wearing a pink dress and a pink fascinator. — Tony Rodgers died after asbestos exposure

Tony Rodgers worked as a social worker throughout their lifetime and their family said he had difficulty pointing to any clear performance for asbestos.

“It was really shocked for our whole family when we came to know that the type of cancer was almost always in touch with asbestos,” said Ms. Hagan.

Niah Hagan said that the data of asbestos dumping made her angry

Niamh Hagan has dark brown hair of shoulder length and wearing a striped red and white top. She is sitting in a kitchen, an oven built in the back of her white kitchen units and in the wall. — Niah Hagan said that the data of asbestos dumping made her angry

He said that the amount of illegally dumped asbestos was derogatory.

He said, “As someone who loved the most in the world due to an asbestos related disease, lost those figures, those figures cross me, it is shocking,” he said.

“It is scary to think that there are places where this dangerous material is being simply dumped and the members of the public do not know about it, that anyone can stumble.”