Residents living near a disused mining dump in Silvermines, Co Tipperary, have welcomed a Government decision to serve notice on a mining company to carry out remedial works to prevent toxic dust blowing in the area.
Lawyers for the State have decided to serve a notice on the company, Mogul, to clean up a defunct tailings (ore residue) management facility at Gortmore, Silvermines, the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources confirmed yesterday.
"This is good news for the local community, and it is now up to Mogul to act on this to rehabilitate the tailings pond. We want this issue finished with once and for all," said Mr Michael Leamy, of the Silvermines Environmental Action Group.
"This is what the people in the area want, the clean-up of the area. It means that we will sleep easier at night."
The action by the Government follows the discovery of elevated levels of lead in a one-year-old bullock at a farm close to the 149-acre waste mining facility. Local people have also complained about adverse effects on their health from tailings dust containing lead, cadmium and other toxins.
The notice served on the company contains a comprehensive list of works to rehabilitate the contaminated tailings pond. The details of these have not been disclosed because the list of works are legal documents, a spokesman for the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources said.
Under a clause contained in Mogul's State mining lease the company has a contractual liability to rectify the lands affected by its working of State minerals.
The Department used a rehabilitation report, published last May, to draft the notice of the works the company is required to carry out under the terms of the clause.
The report, which was drawn up by consultants Steffan, Robertson and Kirsten (SRK), recommended a €5.2 million, four-year remedial plan to prevent pollution in the Silvermines area.
"The Department's legal advice says that it can make only one demand on Mogul to carry out specified remediation works. So the list of works must be comprehensive," Mr John Brown, the Minister of State, told the Seanad yesterday. He added: "This document has now been finalised and will be served on Mogul and its directors this week by the Chief State Solicitor's Office."
A local TD, Ms Máire Hoctor (FF), said: "The serving of the notice is particularly welcome as the recent dry weather has caused increased dust levels. Following the issuing of the legal documentation I hope that Mogul will live up to its obligations and immediately start work to end the concerns surrounding this site."
Local people have been reporting contaminated dust blows from Gortmore since the 1980s.
Mogul has spent an estimated €630,000 on remedial work since 1982 but has not succeeded in creating a permanent self-sustaining grass cover on the facility.