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12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 13th Jun 2002

Speaking on today's publication of the Northern Ireland Audit Office's report on the unsatisfactory implementation of waste management, Seamus Close MLA, Alliance Party Environment Spokesperson, has lambasted the Environment and Heritage Service's failures.

Mr Close said, "This report confirms what we already knew -- the EHS and Department of the Environment have proven themselves incapable of sorting out our waste.

"The problem is not waste management policies, which have been agreed. Rather, in the past 4 years that the EHS has been responsible, they have only achieved 4 of 100 targets, with absolutely no progress being made in near 50 targets.

"Furthermore, the EHS have under-spent millions of pounds that have been allocated to it, year after year for the past 4 years. This is symptomatic of their lackadaisical attitude of implementing waste management strategy."

"For these reasons and more, the Alliance Party has called for an independent Environmental Protection Agency. Only then will that matter be seriously taken and dealt with."

ENDS