Roadstone Dublin Ltd has been ordered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to clear out illegal dumps on its lands at Blessington in Co Wicklow and to dispose of the material in authorised facilities. The decision is likely to cost the company millions of euro. That is as it should be. No firm, however large and influential, can be allowed to avoid its civic responsibilities.
When the scandal of unlawful dumping became public in 2002, the quarry at Blessington owned by Roadstone - a wholly owned subsidiary of the international corporation, Cement Roadstone Holdings - was identified as one of the State's largest illegal landfills. Somewhere between 50,000 and 150,000 tonnes of commercial, domestic and construction waste had been dumped there over a number of years. But the company claimed it had neither authorised the illegal dumping nor benefited from it. And efforts by the Garda Síochána to prosecute came to nothing when the Director of Public Prosecutions declined to take a case based on "corporate responsibility". The company attempted to avoid the cost of removing the material by applying for planning permission to construct an "engineered landfill" on the site to absorb the illegal rubbish.
It was an audacious move, given the dump's location and its proximity to sources of public drinking water. Local residents were incensed by the company's actions. Last July, the EPA indicated it was likely to reject the application because the presence of an unconfined aquifer constituted an unacceptable risk of environment pollution. Yesterday's formal announcement and the requirement to rehabilitate the site will have significant cost implications. It may also set a precedent for removal of waste from other major illegal landfills in Co Wicklow.
Unauthorised dumping was, in the past, facilitated by public ambivalence and by local authorities that turned a blind eye. But it was illegal, damaging to the local environment and lucrative. Things have changed somewhat in recent years under EPA pressure, though 25 unauthorised dumps were discovered in 2004. When they break the law, waste disposal companies should be prosecuted and fined. Offending landowners should be required to remove and correctly dispose of all illegal materials. The "polluter pays" principle is a good one and should be strictly enforced.