Landfill for the County Among Proposals to Beat Illegal Dumping

A properly managed County Council landfill site is among the proposals put forward by a top sub-committee of the local authority as one of the ways to overcome the horrific illegal dumping problem in the county.

Various proposals were put forward by the Strategic Policy Committee on enviornmental services and discussed at a full meeting of the Council on Monday but the landfill idea was initiated by Councillor Deirdre de Burca at an emergency meeting

More landfill for Wicklow?

of the SPC on Monday morning.

Chairman of the Committee, Cllr. George Jones said that the SPC was anxious to firm up policy so that support could be given to everyone who is going through a difficult situation at present.

`We know that court action will follow the current investigations and we feel that some of the comments in the media have been made deliberately to muddy the water in relation to such legal hearings', he added.

Cllr Jones said that all EU directives on Waste Policy should be adhered to while a submission should be made to the Minister for the Environment seeking additional resources to work on the current investigation.

`We also feel that the name of the Garda leading the investigation and phone numbers for incident rooms should be more widely spread while signs should be displayed on vehicles involved in waste collection showing the work they are doing', he added.

Councillor Deirdre de Burca initiated the idea of a new Landfill

Cllr. Jones said that the SPC is also proposing that the Council identify a landfill site for the county to be run and managed by the County Council.

County Manager Mr. Eddie Sheehy agreed that Wicklow needs a landfill plan for the future, an issue that has been dodged by the local authority in the past.

`If members are serious about a landfill we will examine it. However, I would be somewhat cynical that the support I hear today may not be followed up. We are coming up to an election and some of the things being said are tongue in cheek. However, I hope there will be consistency and full support will be given to the landfill site', he added.