The extent of the illegal dumping of waste from all over the Republic into Northern Ireland was highlighted by a case in Cookstown, Co Tyrone.
For a period last year the dump attracted rubbish from all over Ireland, including from Cork, 260 miles away.
Over a six-month period, a facility operated by Tyrone Waste Recycling, owned by Mr Fred Wilson, took material from no less than 13 different counties.
The facility was licensed to take material for recycling and composting, but was instead landfilling it on the site.
Last December Mr Wilson was convicted at Dungannon Magistrate's Court in relation to the illegal dumping at the site, after pleading guilty to 18 dumping offences, and was fined a total of £18,000. He also lost his waste license last September.
The prosecution was a result of an investigation and surveillance operation mounted by Cookstown District Council. During one 24-hour period, a total of 150 tonnes, all from the Republic was taken onto the site in large articulated lorries and trailers. In all, it is estimated that at least 10,000 tonnes of domestic and commercial waste from the Republic was dumped on the site.
Mr Mark Kelso, the director of environmental health at Cookstown District Council describes the activity as "brazen" in comparison to other illegal dumping in Northern Ireland.
Mr Kelso has also written to all of the 13 local authorities in the Republic informing them that waste from their area was found dumped illegally.
While there have been discussions with two local authorities, Mr Kelso has not been informed by any as to whether there are any ongoing investigations by the local authorities to identify the waste collectors guilty of exporting the waste from their area.
If the local authorities fail to identify the waste collectors, they themselves could be held responsible for the waste at the Cookstown site.
The Cookstown waste is classified as illegal under 'trans-frontier shipment' regulations governing cross-border movements of waste. Under the regulations the local authority where the waste originated has a duty of care, and can be required under law to take the waste back.
Under such regulations it is open to Cookstown Council to pursue the various Irish local authorities if they fail to mount investigations to identify the waste collectors involved in the Republic.
To date, only one southern waste company has been prosecuted in relation to dumping at the Cookstown site. Waterford Utilities Services Ltd, was convicted late last year at Waterford District Court, in relation to the illegal export of waste to Tyrone Recycling.
The firm, whose directors are Mr John Cottrell of Butlerstown, Waterford, and Mr Michael Cummins of Slieverue, Co Kilkenny, was fined a total of €8,891 as a result of this and other offences. The prosecution was taken by the EPA on foot of an inspection of the firm's waste transfer station at Butlerstown.