Plans to transfer large amounts of Waterford's waste to a landfill beside the county's most popular beach are provoking increasing local and EU concerns. Carol Duffy reports
As Waterford County Council awaits a High Court decision on its plans to build a controversial new "super-dump" in the west of the county, concern is growing over a move that will see increased levels of dumping at another landfill site adjacent to the south-east's most popular beach.
The dump is located yards from the beach and also fronts onto Tramore backstrand, a tidal area of hundreds of acres which is an internationally important habitat, especially for wild birds.
The council operates landfills at Dungarvan and Tramore. Both are earmarked for replacement by the proposed facility, at Garrynagree near the Ring Gaeltacht, which has attracted huge local opposition.
However, the Dungarvan dump must close by June 30th and the council plans to increase the level of dumping at Tramore so it can accept waste from right across the county. An application to increase the tonnage allowed at Tramore will be considered by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Waterford County Council says it is eagerly awaiting a decision from the President of the High Court on the judicial review sought by objectors to the proposed landfill at Garrynagree. The county manager, Mr Donal Connolly, told a recent local authority meeting he is hopeful of a positive outcome within two months.
However, even if the council receives a favourable decision shortly, it would take up to five years before tipping would start at the new site.
Meanwhile, grave concern has been expressed by Tramore town councillor, Mr Michael Flynn, that despite measures by the council to drastically reduce amounts of domestic waste going to landfill sites, the resort is in danger of dying because of local authority dumping in environmentally sensitive areas.
Moreover, the European Commission and, in turn, the European Court, is viewing the environmental consequences with growing concern. Discharges of raw sewage into Tramore Bay have compounded the environmental strain on the area. The PD councillor has urged the people of Tramore to be much more vocal in opposing the planned increase in dumping at such a sensitive location. "The idea of bringing waste from Dungarvan and indeed all of Co Waterford to Tramore from July on is totally unacceptable and should be unacceptable to everybody in the town and indeed everybody with any interest in this county's environment.
"Tramore is already experiencing pollution problems and this is going to exacerbate the situation. Like other councillors in Tramore I have letters from local residents describing how they have walked over sanitary towels and human waste on the beach, caused by a mixture of the dump and poor sewage."
The issue has been brought to the attention of the European Court by Coastwatch Europe - a decision is due shortly on whether or not the landfill site is in breach of EU waste management and bird sanctuary directives. "A public display by local people is necessary to bring the council to its senses," Mr Flynn said. "A picket on their offices or the landfill for a period of time might heighten awareness of the doomsday scenario proposed by the council." The councillor insists such tactics need not further damage people's perception of the resort. "Tramore's image is in tatters anyway after all that has been allowed to happen here over the years. Until we get to the nub of the problem and fix it, we are only hiding our head in the sand. There has for too long been a tendency to think that if we don't talk about the town's problems they might vanish.
"I would particularly call on the business people of Tramore, who are frightened out of their wits that they are going to lose business, to have the courage to face the problem now.
"If they do, their businesses will flourish down the road. If nothing is done, Tramore will become the county council's only municipal dump, which is nothing short of outrageous in view of its location and the importance of tourism and the environment to this town.
"There is a precedent for collective action in Tramore and 150 years ago the business community here managed to collect £75,000 to build the rail link to Waterford that opened in 1853 and continued in service for more than a century.Some of the same spirit is needed now."