An Taisce to complain about landfill to EU

An Taisce is to report Clare County Council to the European Commission for an alleged breach of the EU landfill directive in …

An Taisce is to report Clare County Council to the European Commission for an alleged breach of the EU landfill directive in relation to the management of a new site near the village of Inagh.

The €7.5 million landfill was given a licence to accept 62,500 tonnes of waste each year and was opened in September 2002 despite strong opposition from locals, who claimed that the site was unsuitable.

Since it opened the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued the council with eight separate non-compliance notices in relation to its management. The EPA also served five separate notices of non-compliance on the council during the construction of the site.

The agency has threatened to institute legal proceedings against the council on a number of occasions, but has yet to take it to court.

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Last month, in response to the council's continued non-compliance with its licence, the chairwoman of the watchdog body which is monitoring the site on behalf of the local community, Cllr Patricia McCarthy (Ind), resigned.

The main issues of non-compliance relate to an odour nuisance affecting locals living near the site and continued concerns over surface water at the landfill.

Mr Tom Prendeville of An Taisce said yesterday that people in Inagh were unable to hang out their washing because the council was unable to regulate this landfill facility.

"The council reassured the local community that the facility would be operated to the highest environmental and health standards.

"Local residents are now facing well-grounded health concerns as well as intrusion into their daily lives due to odour and other emissions from this mismanaged landfill," Mr Prendeville said.

He claimed that the landfill was not being managed to satisfactory environmental standards.

Mr Tom Harvey, an Inagh resident and member of the watchdog body to monitor the management of the site, yesterday welcomed An Taisce's intervention.

"An Taisce is right to call for the closure of the landfill until the matters are addressed. At this stage, we have no confidence in the council to get it right.

"We want our clean environment back," Mr Harvey said.

The area continued to be affected by an odour nuisance from the site intermittently, he said.

Following the most recent non-compliance letter from the EPA, the council has made a comprehensive response.

A council spokesman said yesterday that the landfill was being operated to the highest environmental standards.

He said: "If environmental pollution was occurring at the site, I'm sure it would be closed down, but that hasn't even arisen at this stage."

Council officials are due to hold a meeting with EPA inspectors on the management of the site shortly.

Gordon Deegan

Gordon Deegan

Gordon Deegan is a contributor to The Irish Times