Waterford City and County Council secured a prosecution against an unauthorised waste collector for the 2019 illegal collection and subsequent dumping of waste from a cliff near Annestown, Co Waterford.
The dumping, first reported in July 2019, was discovered in part of the UNESCO Copper Coast Geopark, in an area with a Special Protection designation for birds.
The clean-up operation, carried out by a specialist ‘working at heights’ team, safely removed 3.2 tonnes of waste from the cliff top.
Prosecutions were also taken against the householder who gave their waste to the collector, as well as the waste collector themselves, who did not have a valid permit.
The council subsequently dropped the prosecution of the householder, as they provided information to secure the conviction of the waste collector.
In sentencing, the judge described illegal dumping as a “scourge” and highlighted the efforts locals undertake to promote tourism, adding how dumping in a beauty spot undermines that public effort.
The waste collector was sentenced to six months in jail, in addition to a €200 fine and €6,100 in costs.
