Prosecutions and complaints in relation to air pollution (FOI)

​Request

I understand it is illegal to burn agricultural plastic sheeting and fleece in the open air or by burying the material and setting light to it with no filter for the fumes that come from the ground source.

Please tell me how many people or organizations have been notified by the SoJ and warned against this practice, and how many people or organizations have been prosecuted or fined over a period of five years to date.

Please also confirm the number of complaints about air pollution have been received by SoJ over the same period.

Response

This  request has been answered by Environmental Health (Health and Social Services Department) and the Department of the Environment.

Environmental Health​

1. How many people or organizations have been notified by Environmental Health and warned against the practice of burning agricultural plastic?

None. The burning of waste per se would fall under the remit of the Department of the Environment. 

If it were deemed a statutory nuisance, it would fall under the remit of Environmental Health. It is possible that informal discussions have taken place but these would not be recorded in a searchable form.

2. How many people or organizations have been prosecuted or fined over a period of five years to date?

None.

3. How many complaints about air pollution have been received over the same period?

Environmental Health has received 149 complaints about air pollution over the last five years. 

These include dust (119) smell (21) and smoke (9) complaints. 

Some of these are multiple complaints about a single source. 

One formal notice was served in this time which was smoke related.

Department of the Environment​

1. How many people or organizations have been notified by the Department of the Environment and warned against the practice of burning agricultural plastic?

Two; following a complaint about them burning agricultural plastic.

2. How many people or organizations have been prosecuted or fined over a period of five years to date?

None. 

3. How many complaints about air pollution have been received over the same period?

Two.