Waste-enforcement officials in Dublin are investigating the illegal dumping of fridges and electrical goods following the discovery of nearly 700 appliances in the south of the city. Liam Reid reports.
Firms hired by electrical shops to collect the waste are at the centre of the investigation. Officials suspect that thousands of appliances may have been illegally dumped or exported.
The fridges and appliances are banned from landfills as they are considered to be hazardous waste as they contain dangerous substances like toxic gases.
Hazardous materials, such as freon gas, has to be extracted from the appliances before they can be disposed of.
Officials from South Dublin County Council and investigators from Dublin's waste enforcement team have been working on the investigation since last year, and have been targeting a number of sites in south Dublin.
They have also been carrying out spot inspections at Dublin Port.
County council officials have already discovered 690 appliances at sites in Clondalkin.
Investigators are examining a scheme linked to the shop chain Power City, which arranges to have customers' old appliances taken away for a fee of up to €80.
In a statement yesterday, the company, which has denied any knowledge of the illegal dumping, says the old appliances were collected by independent operators and, as such, were not its responsibility.
The investigation is still at an early stage, but officials are attempting to identify the companies.
The waste companies are not believed to have any of the proper permits required to collect such waste.
Officials suspect many of the fridges were exported illegally through Dublin Port, to be sent abroad for dismantling.