Local authorities in Waterford were yesterday fined for breaching conditions of waste management licences granted to them by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Waterford City Council was fined €6,000 while Waterford County Council was ordered to pay €4,000 for offences under Section 39 of the Waste Management Act, 1996-2003 at the Circuit Court in Waterford.
The authorities faced charges including the unlawful disposal of waste and failing to install infrastructure for the collection and flaring of landfill gas at the Kilbarry and Tramore landfills, in the city and county respectively. Both landfills are now closed.
The Tramore landfill facility was granted a waste licence in September 2001, while Kilbarry received its licence in October of the same year.
Breege Rooney, an inspector with the Office of Environmental Enforcement, said in evidence that the flaring of explosive methane and explosive carbon dioxide gases had not taken place at the landfill in Kilbarry.
A leachate management rainfall system, required under the licence conditions, had not been installed.
More than 100 tonnes had been placed on the site before the licensing period. The site was operational for approximately 30 years.
Director of services, planning and the environment with Waterford City Council, Michael Walsh, said that while €4.6 million had been spent on the Kilbarry site, "another €5-€6 million" was required.
The local authority sought funding from the Government, while the Department of the Environment had confirmed the allocation was "a priority".
The landfill, which has "between 16 and 20 people employed on-site", was confined due to space. "A tendering process for flaring is under way," added Mr Walsh, who hoped to have a contractor in place by August.
He said extraction and capping would be finished by the end of this year.
Senior engineer with the environmental section of Waterford County Council, Paul Daly, said income from the landfill, the capacity of which was in excess of 40,000 tonnes, was funding the remediation.
A lining contractor would be present at the Tramore site within two weeks, while "gas collection and capping will be finished by the end of 2006", he said.
Some €2 million had been spent on the Tramore site, while €4 million was expected from the Department of the Environment.
Judge Michael O'Shea said the fact that both authorities had pleaded guilty and had no previous convictions regarding the offences were mitigating factors.
"I am satisfied that breaches were not committed for commercial gain and that there was no systematic abuse involved," he added.
Both authorities were given 60 days to pay the respective fines. Costs were awarded to the prosecution in both cases.