Clean-up of one of Europe's largest illegal dumps could begin in 2028

Northern Ireland's Environment Minister Andrew Muir has said the clean-up of the Mobuoy illegal dump site could begin as early as 2028. The massive illegal landfill is considered one of the largest of its kind in Europe. The full remediation work could take up to five years to complete.

Northern Ireland's Environment Minister Andrew Muir has announced that work to clean up the Mobuoy illegal dump site — widely regarded as one of the largest illegal landfills in Europe — could begin as early as 2028.

The Mobuoy site, located in Northern Ireland, contains vast quantities of illegally deposited waste and has long been a source of environmental concern for local authorities and residents alike. Muir indicated that once remediation work gets underway, the full clean-up operation is expected to take up to five years to complete.

The scale of the site presents significant logistical and financial challenges. Authorities have been working for years to develop a viable plan for addressing the environmental damage caused by the illegal dumping, which occurred over an extended period before the site was shut down.

The minister's comments signal that concrete progress may finally be on the horizon, though the timeline means affected communities will need to wait several more years before remediation is fully complete. Environmental campaigners have long called for urgent action on the site, citing risks to local waterways and soil contamination.