Background and Policy Objectives
5.Illegal waste activity is a major problem in Northern Ireland. Such activity has netted large profits for unauthorised waste operators, including organised criminal gangs. It has a negative impact not only in terms of damage to the environment and risk to public health, but also on the competitive status of legitimate waste businesses. The costs involved in cleaning up illegally deposited waste are also significant.
6.The powers contained in the 1997 Order were not considered to be sufficient to deal with this growing problem. The 2007 Order therefore provides stronger powers for enforcement officers and additional powers for the courts to impose wider ranging and more significant pecuniary penalties in order to combat and deter the illegal waste activity.
7.The new powers largely replicate those in the rest of the United Kingdom. However the 2007 Order does include some unique provisions because of the nature and extent of the problems faced in Northern Ireland.