A sting operation using an end-of-life car as bait has uncovered what authorities believe is an example of widespread illegal car scrappage.
The exercise was in response to the emergence of social media ads from sites offering cash for scrapped cars.
It was carried out jointly by Waterford City and County Council, gardaí, the Revenue Commissioners, social welfare inspectors and waste enforcement officers.
They hope follow-up investigations will help flush out illegal cash-for-cars businesses and unravel a network of illegal connections between unauthorised scrap merchants and legitimate businesses or “authorised treatment facilities” licensed to handle end of life vehicles.
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“There are a lot of [online ads], especially on Facebook, and there’s no names, no details, just a mobile number and a promise to make it easy to get rid of your scrap car and make some money at the same time,” said Niall Kane, Waterford senior executive engineer.
“We put a notice up on Facebook asking if anyone was interested in a scrap car and we were waiting when a dealer turned up.”
The exercise was also aimed at raising the public’s awareness about the fines they face if their car ends up improperly scrapped and the environmental damage that can be caused.
“When a car is scrapped it has fuel in it, oil, brake fluid, air conditioning fluid – all sorts of liquids and chemicals that have to be removed to depollute the vehicle,” Mr Kane said.
“An authorised treatment facility will dispose of everything safely. An unauthorised dealer will take the valuable bits – the catalytic converter, alloy wheels, radiator metal – and might leave the rest to sit in a field dripping oil into the groundwater.”
He said even if what is left of a car is taken to an authorised facility for scrappage, an environmental hazard may have been created by taking things apart beforehand.
“We’re trying to identify him but also the ATF he’s using because they are not supposed to accept cars that have been handled improperly.”
Mr Kane said 12 motorists had been fined €100 each in Waterford this year after cars found scrapped improperly were traced back to them.
“We want to let people know that, yes it sounds good that someone’s going to take away their car for free and give them €50 too but you could lose more than that.”
The authorities involved in the exercise are asking motorists with end-of-life cars to ask dealers for their waste collection permit.
Authorised operators must also have their name and permit number on the side of their pickup vehicle.
The country’s three Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authorities have identified the improper handling of end-of-life cars as a nationwide issue.
