Sir, - There has been much publicity about the recent dumping ofhazardous waste in the Tramore landfill site, so near to our beautifulbeach and back strand. Unfortunately this came as no surprise to ourgroup.
What does surprise us is the lack of concern of Waterford CountyCouncil and the Environmental Protection Agency. Last summer we madesubmissions strenuously opposing the granting by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) of a licence to Waterford County Council tocontinue dumping in Tramore. (The dump has been in existence since1939.) We specifically informed the EPA that we had found suspicioussamples, which when analysed by an industrial chemist, had been shownto contain 4-methol phenol. The presence of this strong pollutantindicated dumping of serious industrial waste. The licence was grantedlast September anyway.
Our concerns are not at all assuaged by conditions laid down by theEPA nor by the Council's obligations to adhere to them. For examplepart of Condition 2 reads:
"2.1.1. The licensee shall employ a suitably qualified andexperienced facility manager who shall be designated as the person incharge. The facility manager or a nominated, suitably qualified andexperienced deputy shall be present on the facility at all times duringits operation.
"2.1.2. Both the facility manager and deputy, and any replacementmanager or deputy, shall successfully complete both the FAS wastemanagement training programme (or equivalent agreed with the Agency)and associated on site assessment appraisal within 12 months ofappointment."
Nothwithstanding the above, reliance on the word of a lorry driveris apparently enough to enable hazardous waste sludge to be dumped inTramore. What use are such conditions? - Yours, etc.,
Tramore Bay
Conservation Group,
Co Waterford.