Farmer claims dump would ruin his livelihood
John Cahill said his farm was fragmented and cows had to travel up to three-quarters of a mile along narrow roads to the milking parlour. Mr Cahill informed an oral hearing initiated by the Environmental Protection Agency that up to 15 lorries an hours would bring waste to the site making it impossible for him to take his cows up the road for milking.
“I have a right to continue my business as I have done for the past 35 years and any proposed development which would endanger the livelihood of myself and my family is unconstitutional”, Mr Cahill said.
David Holland BL, acting for Cork County Council, said the Bottlehill site would be developed to EU standards and only treated waste would be buried there. He said the high standards it would reach had never been achieved in the past. The Council wants to develop the landfill on Coillte-owned forestry.
Bottlehill Environmental Alliance (BEA) members, will, over the next four days of the hearing, raise a number of environmental concerns. BEA spokesman John O’Riordan said local people were worried about an invasion of vermin, possible contamination by leachate of three rivers supplying public drinking water; health fears; a vast increase in traffic on narrow roads, and the future of a pair of breeding hen harriers which are a protected species under EU law.
Hydrology expert Kevin Cullen, said that the location was suitable as rock formations in the area were not very porous. He said that allied to the placing of artificial lining in the infill and constant removal of leachate would protect rivers and wells in the area.
Deputy Joe Sherlock said he was concerned about a number of issues, especially the ability of an already over-stretched sewage treatment works in Mallow to cope with disposing of 315,000 tonnes of leachate generated at Bottle Hill over the course of the next 20 years.
“This is despite the fact that the projected increase in the population of Mallow in that period of time is 20,000 people,” Deputy Sherlock said.
It is expected that Cork County engineer, Ned Flynn, will today try and allay fears about the capabilities of the treatment plant.
He will tell the hearing that the Mallow treatment plant is to be upgraded shortly and will be able to expand to meet the expected future population increases as well as the leachate produced from the proposed landfill at Bottlehill.
