Bottlehill Wood, between Cork and Mallow, has been chosen as the site for a £20 million "superdump" which will handle all waste generated in city and county in the next two decades.
Immediately Bottlehill residents signalled their intention to continue to fight the decision, possibly in the courts.
Together with nearby Grenagh, and Watergrasshill in east Cork, Bottlehill was shortlisted last October by the Galway firm of consulting engineers, P.J. Tobin.
After months of investigation the consultants told a joint meeting of Cork County Council and Cork Corporation yesterday that Bottlehill was selected because the development of a landfill site there would have least impact on the environment.
Bottlehill residents were aware in advance that, for various reasons, their site was the most likely to be chosen, and they placed banners outside County Hall saying that the consultation process had been a farce.
After the meeting they accused Cork County Council of treating them outrageously by leaking in advance the fact that Bottlehill was the first choice of the consultants.
In a statement they warned that legal action would be considered and that an independent technical survey would be carried out to disprove the case made by the local authority consultants.
The consultants said that each of the sites examined was suitable for landfill purposes, and all had similar characteristics in terms of cost and topography. But when possible impact on the environment was evaluated, Bottlehill was considered more suitable than the other two.
Any environmental impact at the site could be mitigated by design considerations, they added.
Mr Maurice Moloney, the Cork County Manager, told the meeting that consultation with the Bottlehill Environment Alliance (BEA) would continue. The dump would meet the most stringent requirements, and a separate waste recovery facility would extract recyclable and compostible materials before the remainder was brought for landfill. Continuous monitoring would also be carried out by the Environmental Protection Agency.
It is understood that the cost of the recovery facility, which will be at the existing Kinsale Road landfill site, will add a further £20 million to the overall price tag.
Unlike Grenagh and Water grass hill, Bottlehill is not centred on a village but comprises the three parishes of Carrignavar, Mourneabbey and Glenville, with more than 5,000 people.
The Glashaboy and Clyda rivers adjoin the dump while the Bride river rises there. They are now a threatened water-supply source for the area, according to the residents.
The 2,000-acre Bottlehill Wood could easily accommodate the proposed 250-acre dump, but its amenity value would be impaired for ever and the serenity of the area would be destroyed by the constant movement of trucks to and from the site. This would also affect property values in its vicinity, the BEA says.
Mr John O'Riordan, spokesman for the BEA, said the consultants' report had its origin in the Cork County Council Waste Management Strategy of 1995, which proposed reduction, reuse, recycling and, finally, disposal.
However, the first three principles had not been implemented, and instead 92 per cent of waste in the council's area was taken to landfill each week. "You can take it this is only the beginning of the fight as far as we are concerned. We are not going to lie down," he added.