It’s cost Monaghan County Council almost €289,000 to clean up diesel laundering waste since 2018.
There’s been 55 diesel laundering dumping incidents in the county over the past four years, and 151 incidents in neighbouring Co Louth.
Between 2018 and 2021, there were 206 incidents of diesel laundering dumping in Louth and Monaghan.
55 of these incidents occurred in Monaghan, with the clean-up costs totalling just under €289,000.
In Louth, the clean-up costs incurred due to this dumping came to almost €838,000.
A spokesperson for the Department of the Environment said “diesel laundering can result in significant contamination in soils and act as a source of groundwater contamination”.
The spokesperson added that “the acidic waste that is generated in this illegal process and left abandoned by diesel launderers such as sulphuric acid wash, contaminated absorbent and bleaching earth sludge is hazardous waste”.
The spokesperson also said “a rigorous programme of enforcement action has reduced the volumes of diesel laundering waste being illegally deposited”.
However, the number of incidents in Monaghan have nearly trebled since 2018, increasing from nine in 2018 to 23 last year.
Meanwhile, the clean-up costs have more than trebled over the same period, from around €26,000 in 2018 to nearly €91,000 last year.
The Department of the Environment assists Local Authorities in carrying out their role under waste legislation to ensure that any waste generated and left abandoned by diesel launderers is disposed of without endangering human health and without harming the environment.
