A single government department is to spearhead the implementation group which will be formed as a result of the report on the presence of lead in the Silvermines area of north Tipperary, a public meeting was told yesterday. About 300 people gathered in the community hall in the village for a presentation on the long-awaited report.
The inter-agency group was asked whether those involved in mining activities in the past would foot the bill for remedial works. Mr Michael Lowry TD called on the Government to pursue companies which had been responsible for pollution. He felt that the area could be stigmatised due to aspects of the report being highlighted.
Mr Aidan Murray, a principal officer at the Department of Agriculture, who is chairing the inter-agency group, advised people to be cautious about simply pursuing compensation. Ways of managing risk factors needed to be examined so that further losses were not incurred.
Senator Kathleen O'Meara referred to the "superdump" being proposed by Waste Management Ireland for the former Magcobar site outside the village. She said that the community was fighting to prevent a multinational company from spreading its waste in the region. "One of the reasons we are fighting so hard is because it has happened already," she said.