DUBLIN, Ireland: Authorities in two border counties have spent over 1.6 million euros in the past five years cleaning up toxic waste from illegal diesel laundering operations.

Louth County Council reported spending 1.12 million euros since 2020 on clearing hazardous sludge dumped by fuel smugglers, while Monaghan County Council said its costs reached nearly 500,000 euros during the same period. The two councils carried out more than 222 clean-up operations, each costing an average of 7,300 euros.

Louth has seen costs escalate significantly, nearly doubling from 188,000 euros in 2020 to 361,000 euros in 2023. In one quarter alone last year, the council spent 156,000 euros dealing with a large-scale dumping incident.

By contrast, Donegal and Cavan County Councils reported no clean-up costs related to diesel laundering, stating it was not a problem in their areas.

Diesel laundering involves removing a green dye from rebated fuel, known as marked mineral oil, to disguise it as regular diesel. The process leaves behind a highly toxic sludge, which is often dumped illegally, posing serious environmental and health risks.

A Monaghan County Council spokesperson said the issue had plagued the region for 25 years, with numerous dumping incidents leading to "very substantial cleanup and disposal costs" for taxpayers.

"The aftermath of diesel laundering continues to give rise to significant costs in the county and creates a potential environmental and health and safety hazard," he said, urging the public to report any suspicious activity to local gardai.

Louth County Council, which has borne the highest costs, said it is working closely with An Garda Siochana and Revenue to tackle the problem.