Andrew Muir says

The Environment Minister has urged people not to participate in a controversial bonfire in South Belfast on Friday night due to the presence of asbestos on the site, and do not “light it” for builders.

Andrew Muir also defended the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), accusing the political opponents of the “finger pointing” to remove the material.

Was raised about concerns Asbestos on site As well as fear Power supply to two major hospitals Because the bonfire is near an electricity substation.

Earlier, the Grand Secretary of Orange Order said that the bonfire should move forward, stating that concerns about the presence of asbestos on the site were “clearly political”.

Speaking about the matter for the first time, Muir, an MLA from the coalition party, said: “There are many ways to celebrate not on this site but on the site.

“Personally I respect how important the 11th and 12th is, I understand its importance, but I will request people to be careful and if they can not illuminate this bonfire.”

Muir told BBC News Ni that he first came to know about the issues “weeks ago” about the issues on this bonfire site.

On Friday night, the bonfire of the eleventh night will be burnt in Northern Ireland to enter the memory of 12 July.

Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) has removed about 20 kg asbestos from the site between Dongall Road and Westlinks and confirmed that Further pieces of asbestos have been found on the site.

“Removing asbestos is very complex and delicate, for this the site needs to be completely evacuated. The site is not emptied and it is one of the important issues.”

Asked why his department did not soon take steps, given that Niea first came to know about the development in May, he defended the agency’s approach and said that there was a “detailed engagement” with both landlords and other agencies so that a review would be done in the coming days.

He also said that he was limited to what he could say due to the ongoing legal action and did not want to prejudice.

He said that critics in other parties accused their department of failing to work more quickly, only “pointing to the finger” and denied that they lacked leadership.

Earlier, the Grand Secretary of Orange Order, Rev Marvin Gibson said that if the asbestos was a major issue, environmental agencies should have been called months ago, as Bonfire Builders were on the site from January.

Mr. Gibson told BBC’s Good Morning UlSter Program People should “go and enjoy themselves” in the bonfire.

“I think it is clear to everyone that the decision taken was a political decision. It has been from Esbstas 2017,” he said.

“I believe that the council voted a few weeks ago to go ahead. A few days ago Sin Fen and Alliance and SDLP decide to vote against it.”

Sin Fen MLA Pat Sheehan said “serious public safety concerns remains”.

In a statement, Sheehan said: “There is an immediate need for a factual assessment to determine the limit of asbestos on this site and the dangers presented by it.”

He said that “lesson” needs to be learned on how “we ended in this situation”.

PSNI stated that, after a multi-agency meeting, it was felt that “the risk of bonfire as per the plan was less and more manageable than the proposed functioning of more managers and the proposed functioning to eliminate it”.

The Belfast City Council acknowledged the position of PSNI, but said it is concerned about the presence of asbestos on the site and will continue to increase these concerns with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA).

council Voted to write environment minister To work immediately to remove asbestos.

The NIEA stated that it was first alerted for the issues around the bonfire on 16 May, but “the circumstances did not allow the safe and controlled removal of the asbestos before the eleventh”, so the agency worked with the zamindar and the council so that the agency agreed to reduce the measures to reduce the risk for public health.

The mitigations included further covering of the material containing asbestos, the use of fire-retired materials and the construction of additional fencing.

NIEA said that it was his understanding that the zamindar would arrange to remove all asbestos from the site next week.

Burned as part of the bonfire Eleventh night ceremony in some federal regions of Northern IrelandTo enter the twelfth of July, the main date in the paradeing season.

The twelfth recalls Boyne Battle in 1690 when Protestant King William III – also known as King Billy and William of Orange – defeated Catholic King James II.

DUP councilor Sara Banting has questioned finding more suspected asbestos than NIEA.

“The sites that were shown to us, where the asbestos found, was mostly around the stockpile of asbestos that have been covered … Why didn’t it get it earlier?”

Bunting has asked whether the Niea can go to Niea and “facility to assess that part of the site” before the planned lighting of the bonfire Friday morning.

On Thursday, Bonfire Builders voluntarily removed the levels of the palette from the top of the bonfire and told BBC News Ni that the action was a “olive branch” for those.

Bhuswamis, Boron Developments bought the site in the summer of 2017 and were apprised of asbestos at that time.

Boron Development has stated that it is engaged in an waste management company to remove asbestos, but the company needed a “no personnel” on the site to remove asbestos.

Due to people’s “bringing into contents and building bonfires”, the company said that landlords did not complete their work.

The council said that when the land “zamindar’s responsibility on the site remained”, the council and Niea “were working together in relation to this site”.