Andrew Muir concerned about potential costs of cleaning up massive Mobuoy dump site in Derry - video Dailymotion

Andrew Muir concerned about potential costs of cleaning up massive Mobuoy dump site in Derry

Transcript

00:00He did indicate that there is no preferred option

00:03when he publishes the draft strategy, but I am wondering if he has any

00:07estimated costs of those options when the strategy will be published.

00:13Minister, I thank the Member for his question. It is quite a key issue and something that has

00:17been concerning me in terms of the cost potentially around this. To date, my Department

00:22does not have a cost estimate that has been assessed and approved through the required

00:26public finance processes and through an approved business case. There are several reasons for this,

00:32and it is important that I outline this to the Member and to the House. First, my Department

00:35is continuing to pursue the perpetrators of this environmental crime through ongoing criminal

00:40proceedings. In line with the polluter pays principle, we will strenuously seek to ensure

00:44that the polluter does pay in this case. Secondly, my Department will shortly issue

00:48a public consultation on a range of remediation options for the site. The views of stakeholders

00:53are hugely important to me, and I want to ensure that those views are taken into account

00:57in relation to the remediation options chosen. Hence, I am not able to confirm stable costings

01:01now. Thirdly, there are a range of approval processes that must be carried out to ensure

01:06that any remediation proposals are technically sound and cost-effective.

01:11In conclusion, I would say that a number of months ago I visited the site, and this issue

01:16is enormously complex. It is something that I am very focused on, and it is important that

01:20we get a way forward in relation to this when we start the consultation for the public in the time

01:24ahead.