HEFTY CLEAN UP BILLS ARE A THING OF THE PAST
The hefty bills for sludge removal in Louth are a thing of the past, thanks to the introduction of the new fuel marker Accutrace. The decline began in the second half of 2015 and has continued since then, according to the council, who has to foot the bill for specialist removal of the sludge by a contractor before it is shipped to Germany for controlled treatment and disposal.
The Department of the Environment rebate the council for the sludge removal, but taxpayers are the ultimate fall-guys for the massive clean-up costs of sludge, not to mention the loss to the Revenue in terms of tax on fuel sales, while the gangs involved in the laundering and distribution of cleaned fuel made millions by their criminal activity.
A spokesperson for Louth County Council said: ‘ The new marker, and follow up enforcement by the Revenue, has resulted in a significant reduction in both the number of dumping incidents and the quantity of IBCs (International Bulk Containers) dumped.
‘However, it has not been stamped out completely and remains an issue. There was one truckload of IBCs found in 2016 compared to three in 2015 and to date, in 2017, there has been no truckloads detected in the county.
‘ The decrease in the number of incidents and the quantity of diesel sludge has resulted in a decrease in the cost of clean up and disposal, from in excess of €850,000 in 2011 to €232,000 last year’.
The introduction of Accutrace was one of a number of targeted measures introduced on both sides of the border that also included those involved in the sale of marked gas oil on this side of the border having to provide monthly sales reports and other details to Revenue.
The retailers group, Retailers Against Smuggling (RAS) are also pleased with the effectiveness of the marker.
In a statement, a spokesperson told the Argus: ‘ There has definitely been a huge decrease in fuel laundering and stretching since the introduction of the marker.
‘However, it has been stated that there are still between ten and 12 gangs that continue to launder fuel across the border. There is still an issue with petrol stretching and I think Revenue indicated around 150 complaints during 2014-15.
‘ The issue remains for the RAS that the government needs to be prepared to protect businesses along the border from potential Brexit blowback’.
And while there is no room for complacency among the staff at the customs agencies in both jurisdictions, they can say with some certainty after two years since the game-changing marker was introduced, they are finally winning the war on the fuel bandits.