Asbestos dumped near water source

An illegal dump containing asbestos has been discovered on the banks of one of Cork’s major sources of drinking water.

The site is alongside the Carrigadrohid reservoir on the outskirts of Macroom and was found on land owned by the ESB. Work has been ongoing to ship the material off site and take it to Germany, where it can be destroyed safely.

Because of the manner in which the material was dumped and the amount involved, those working on the site believe it is “extremely unlikely” to pose a public health risk.

The dump, containing bound-up asbestos and demolition waste, is at Coolcower, near the road bridge on the N22 eastern approach to Macroom.

Work began to remove the material on Tuesday, with a dedicated road entrance opened for site traffic. The clearance is under the supervision of the Health and Safety Authority and environment officials from Cork County Council. The ESB engaged a contractor at its own cost and a spokeswoman said: “It is unlikely that we will be able to recover the costs from the person responsible.”

The ESB said it had no involvement in or knowledge of the illegal dumping and this was confirmed by Cork County Council.

A council source said the nature and circumstance of the dump meant the waste was unlikely to cause a risk to human health through the water supply.