Fears council landfill facility may close

FEARS were raised yesterday that a multi-million-euro waste disposal facility, owned by Kerry County Council, may have to close — due to a loss of business.

Private waste contractors, it emerged, are trucking rubbish from Kerry to landfills in other counties due to high charges.

Independent councillor Danny Healy-Rae claimed the council was not charging competitive prices for use of its landfill tip at Muingnaminnane, near Tralee.

Last month, the council decided to withdraw from waste collection and transferred the service to a private company, Killarney Waste Disposal (KWD), which has been disposing of most of its waste outside the county.

“The council itself had been the main user of its own landfill and it was being kept open, just about, because waste collected by the council was going in there,” Mr Healy-Rae said.

“But the situation has now changed completely and I’m calling on the council to compete actively on the prices charged to private collection companies, most of which are taking their refuse outside of Kerry.

“If action is not taken urgently, it will mean Muingnaminnane will have to be closed. As the next nearest landfill, in Limerick, is almost full, Kerry waste may need to be transported further up the country, resulting in a massive increase in cost to people in the county,” he said.

The issue is to be considered at the annual budget meeting of Kerry County Council, on Monday.

“I’m very worried we’ll be told by management the facility is going to be closed,” Mr Healy-Rae said.

“If that happens, there could be a twofold increase in the price charged to householders because of the cost of taking waste up the country, or even abroad.

“Also, should the landfill close, it would have to be properly capped to comply with EU standards and that would cost the council millions of euro,” he claimed.

Senior council management has already warned of “significant pressures” on operating costs at the landfill and of the effects of competition from landfills outside Kerry.

The council has spent more than €8.1m on developments at the landfill facility in recent years.

The annual operating cost of the facility is just over €1m, with a further €538,000 for land purchase and facility development.