Mobuoy Landfill Clean-Up Lacks Timeline and Funding Guarantee, Northern Ireland Politicians Warn
The contaminated Mobuoy landfill, discovered in 2013 near Campsie in County Londonderry, holds thousands of tonnes of illicitly dumped refuse across more than 100 acres. Two businessmen received prison sentences last year for their involvement in the illegal operation.
Environment Minister Andrew Muir recently updated local politicians on the planned remediation, but SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan, a former environment minister, voiced his dissatisfaction with the information provided. “We have no estimated cost, no estimated timeline and there is no guarantee that this work is going to be done,” Durkan stated, highlighting the critical funding gap.
The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) accounts for 2022/23, published in February 2024, estimated the potential clean-up bill at between £17 million and £700 million. The higher figure pertained to a complete excavation, a plan Daera is not pursuing. The current estimate for pollution prevention measures stands at £107 million, though officials acknowledge this is a “point in time” figure, likely to increase with further delays.
Durkan stressed that prolonged inaction only escalates both the financial burden and the environmental risks associated with the site. Investigations indicate approximately 1.6 million tonnes of waste, with 627,000 tonnes believed to be illegally dumped, polluting an area equivalent to 65-70 football pitches.
Sinn Féin MLA Ciara Ferguson, also present at the meeting, emphasised that a robust, evidence-based cost estimate is the “critical” next step, necessary before any formal funding bid can be submitted. She indicated a hope for this estimate to be completed by summer.
Following the meeting, Muir described the engagement as “constructive” and confirmed movement towards adopting a final remediation strategy and obtaining an updated cost estimate. This, he stated, would facilitate the development of a formal business case for the remediation works.
