Ongoing Uncertainty Over Mobuoy Landfill Cleanup
There remains no established timeline, cost estimate, or assurance of funding for the remediation of one of Europe's largest illegal landfill sites, according to local politicians.
The Mobuoy dump at Campsie in County Londonderry, discovered in 2013, is a contaminated site where thousands of tonnes of waste were buried across an area exceeding 100 acres.
Last year, two businessmen were sentenced to prison for their involvement in the illegal dumping operation.
Environment Minister Andrew Muir recently met with local representatives to provide an update on the planned remediation of the site. However, SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan, a former environment minister, expressed disappointment over the absence of new information.
"Obviously cost is where the focus is going to be," he told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme.
"We have no estimated cost, no estimated timeline and there is no guarantee that this work is going to be done," Durkan added.
The potential financial liability is referenced in the 2022/23 accounts from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera), published in February 2024.
At that time, officials estimated the cost could range from £17 million to £700 million. The upper figure would only apply if all waste was excavated and transported elsewhere, which is not the current plan by Daera.
The latest cost estimate stands at £107 million to remediate the site using various pollution prevention methods.
However, this £107 million figure is a "point in time" estimate and is expected to increase the longer it takes to finalize and implement the remediation proposals.
Durkan commented on the progress, stating:
"I'm not laying the blame at the minister's door, I do think they have been pretty proactive and are keen to get this done."
Investigations at Mobuoy indicate approximately 1.6 million tonnes of waste are present on the site, with 627,000 tonnes believed to have been dumped illegally.
The contaminated area covers about 100 acres, roughly equivalent to 65-70 football pitches.
Some waste dates back to the 1960s, but the illegal dumping was linked to two businessmen who were jailed in June last year for their roles in the scandal.
Durkan warned that delays in commencing the necessary work increase the risk posed by the site.
"The cost is only going to go up but more significantly than that the risk is also going to increase," he said.
"It was reassuring and there's always reassuring to hear from Northern Ireland Water and the Environment Agency about the extensive monitoring of the water on that site and suppose of the absence of a risk to the safety of drinking water… but the longer it's left that risk's only going to go one way and that's up."
Sinn Féin MLA Ciara Ferguson, who also attended the meeting on Friday, emphasized that obtaining a cost estimate is the "critical" next step in the process.
"They need to ensure that it's evidence based and is robust," she told BBC Radio Foyle.
Ferguson noted that no formal funding bid can be submitted until the cost estimate is finalized.
"They would hope to have that complete by the summer and submit it to the minister," Ferguson said.
Following the meeting, Minister Muir described it as a "constructive engagement" that followed a public consultation on the site's remediation.
He stated:
"I remain eager to progress the plans for remediation and can confirm we will now be moving towards adoption of the final remediation strategy including obtaining an updated cost estimate for delivery of the remediation."
"This will then enable us to develop and put forward a formal business case in relation to remediation works as per required processes."
The two businessmen, Gerard Farmer and Paul Doherty, were sentenced in June 2025 for their involvement in the illegal dumping at Mobuoy.
