Limerick farmers fear new toxic dump

FARMERS have warned that toxic waste remains at the massive Aughinish Alumina plant in west Limerick could end up as tomorrow’s Haulbowline toxic dump unless action is taken now.

A 250-acre red mud waste pond at the alumina refinery — which has been likened to the facility which created the Hungarian toxic mud spill 15 months ago — has just been extended by nearly 50%.

Positioned just beside the Shannon Estuary, the storage ponds now cover an area of 450 acres and contain at least 20 million tonnes of waste. The former Irish Steel/ISPAT toxic waste dump at Haulbowline is just 22 acres in size, yet is costing the taxpayer €40m to clean up.