Attwood replaced as NI environment minister

Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) member Mark Durkan, who takes over from Attwood, described his new role as diverse and one which covers a spectrum of both environmental and economic issues.

Recently married Mr Durkan, 35, is the nephew of Irish politician and MP for Foyle, Mark Durkan, who led the SDLP from 2001 to 2010.

The role will be Mr Durkans first major post since being elected to the NI legislative assembly in 2011.

Outgoing minister Mr Attwood has yet to announce his new role, but a spokesman for SDLP told letsrecycle.com that the move was simply a reshuffle and that a further reshuffle of other ministers would be announced in due course.

The spokesman said: Alex Attwood is a very capable minister and Mark Durkan is also a very capable successor.

Mr Attwood succeeded Democratic Unionist MLA Edwin Poots as environment minister in May 2011. During his time in office, he has overseen an improvement in Northern Irelands recycling rate, which rose to 39.7% in July 2012 (see letsrecycle.com story)

Provisional figures from April also showed a 3.6 percentage point reduction in the amount of waste sent to landfill by NI councils to 57.7% (see letsrecycle.com story).

Additionally, Attwood oversaw the introduction of a 5p single-use carrier bag levy, which came into force in April, with plans to increase the levy to 10p for bopth single-use and multi-use bags from April 2014 (see letsrecycle.com story).

Robust

Speaking after Tuesday (July 16)s announcement Mr Durkan said he would build on the hard work and success of his predecessor and voiced his commitment to reducing waste to landfill.

‘I will be robust in my approach to protecting the built and natural environments… This includes reducing the volume of waste going to landfill and also going after those who seek to damage our environment through waste crime’

Incoming NI environment minister, Mark H Durkan

He said: Local government reform is well underway and I will drive the programme to ensure that we reach the goal of stronger, more efficient and more effective local government local government which is focused on our citizens and responsive to local needs.

I will also be robust in my approach to protecting the built and natural environments which make Northern Ireland such a unique place to live. This includes reducing the volume of waste going to landfill and also going after those who seek to damage our environment through waste crime.

Waste crime

The reshuffle follows outgoing environment minister Mr Attwoods announced of an additional 1.5 million to tackle waste and fuel laundering crime on the ground.

The money was secured by the minister in the June Monitoring Round and will be spent over the next two months on:

• purchase of overt and covert surveillance equipment for use where appropriate and where waste crime is suspected;
• purchase of specialist vehicles and surveying equipment;
• more staff on the ground, more visits, verifying the legitimate origins and destinations of waste flows;
• specialist forensic accountancy and computer forensics contracts to analyse financial matters believed to be connected with serious waste crime;
• additional staffing to progress action against hauliers found to be using or procuring illegal fuel or found to be involved in the illegal management of waste;
• additional contracts to managing the clean-up of fuel laundering waste

Mr Attwood said: Protection of our clean and green environment is one side of a coin. The other side is the enforcement to make sure this happens. That means more people on the ground, visiting sites. More people checking where waste starts and where it ends up. Investigating the hauliers using illegal fuel. Investigating their financial practices and their computer records. This additional funding will ensure that can now happen.

He added: It is my firm belief that government, the police and crime agencies must escalate further their response to organised crime. This money is a good step but one of many that need to follow. Criminals and organised crime need to know we are going to come for them. The 1.5million will help.