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Residents in a picturesque County Down community are fed up with foul odors emanating from the nearby Warrenpoint Port, according to concerned citizens. Liz Weir, a local resident, described being driven out of her home by the stench of compacted rubbish from a waste management company operating at the harbor. Re-Gen, the company in question, has been present in Warrenpoint for over a decade and maintains that its facility undergoes regular inspections by independent and statutory bodies. Despite this, Weir highlighted occasions where the smell was so overwhelming that it caused physical discomfort.
BBC News NI initially reported on the issue in 2023, prompting Re-Gen to take initial steps to mitigate the odors stemming from accumulated waste bales. Nevertheless, two years later, activists argue that not enough has been done to tackle the concerns surrounding the large quantities of waste stored at the port. Weir has been actively involved in every public gathering and demonstration related to this matter since she first noticed the offensive smell, detailing instances where her family was unable to enjoy their garden or even open windows due to the pervasive odors.
The primary cause of the unpleasant smells in the region has been attributed to the management of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) at Re-Gen’s Warrenpoint establishment. Non-recyclable waste collected from various Northern Ireland councils is processed into bales and transported to Warrenpoint to be exported to destinations like Scandinavia, where it is incinerated to generate electricity. The ongoing controversy led to a series of resignations within the Warrenpoint Harbour Authority (WHA), with several councillors stepping down in protest over the ongoing odor dilemma.
Campaigner Colum Sands from the Rostrevor Action Respecting the Environment (RARE) group emphasized that the recent occurrence involving telegraph poles should not divert attention from the broader issue with Re-Gen. Sands characterized the long-standing smell as an ongoing concern linked to the constant inflow of black bin waste into the port. The resignations from the WHA board were viewed as a positive development, instigated by public pressure and the collective disapproval of the community towards the prevailing conditions. The Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) conducts routine checks to ensure Re-Gen’s compliance with its waste permit, reporting minor infractions in the past that were promptly addressed by the company
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