Westmeath facing waste crisis

A WASTE crisis is looming in Co Westmeath unless an extra half million tonnes of rubbish can be dumped at a landfill outside Athlone.

One of the country’s fastest-growing towns is facing problems if the permission to extend the site is not granted by the planning authorities.

The are 46,000 people living within a 10-mile radius of Athlone, which was selected as a gateway town in the national spatial strategy last year.