Illegal dump site probe continues

IT will be weeks before the investigation of what is potentially one of the biggest illegal dumpsites in the country is completed, experts admitted yesterday.

The dumpsite is located on land owned by Roadstone in Blessington and Wicklow County Council is now trying to quantify the full extent and nature of the dumping and any potential environmental risk.

A spokesperson for Roadstone said they were both surprised and disappointed to learn that material had been dumped on their land without their knowledge or approval.

He pointed out that the company, a subsidiary of CRH, was co-operating fully with Wicklow County Council.

Thomas Murphy, a senior official with the council, said a quantity of both domestic and commercial waste had already been uncovered at the site. The site investigation, suspended during the holiday period, resumed yesterday.

Mr Murphy said it was impossible at this point to say whether the illegal dump might be the biggest uncovered in Wicklow to date: “We have only completed a preliminary investigation and the detailed investigation will take some time so all we would be doing now is engaging in speculation.”

He said the council was intent on ensuring that Wicklow, also known as The Garden of Ireland, was not blemished by illegal dumps: “We are very pro-active in this area. Any site brought to our attention is followed up immediately and legal proceedings initiated where appropriate.”

Over the past few months the council has secured prosecutions against a number of people including a landowner and a waste disposal company in relation to the illegal dumping site at Coolnamadra.

It has also secured conviction and jail sentence against another waste contractor.

Mr Murphy said that the council continued to encourage anyone with any knowledge of illegal dumping in Wicklow, to contact them directly or the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation's incident room at Naas Garda Station: 045-884303.