Cork Council to consider ways of using Bottlehill
Cork County Council confirmed that it is poised to ask the waste industry for its ideas about how the Bottlehill landfill site in north Cork could be used.
Officials hope to publish a ‘request for information’ on E-tenders within weeks to explore “all innovative and cost effective options...to utilise the Bottlehill site, to provide alternative waste treatment options to meet the needs of the region”.
The 100-hectare site has an EPA licence for five million tonnes of waste over its lifetime. The first built phase, 6.5-acres of landfill cells, can cater for 660,000 tonnes of waste.
The news has fuelled hopes that under-fire waste firm Country Clean could be allowed transfer some of its operation from its contentious Churchfield depot on the city’s northside to the Bottlehill site.
Local Sinn Féin Cllr Mick Nugent welcomed the county council’s move on Bottlehill.
“It is very timely given Country Clean’s indication to residents. I would urge the company now to follow through on its pledge to residents, and engage with the county council in this process,” he said.
Country Clean has been at the centre of controversy for several weeks over the management of the Churchfield depot.
Neighbouring residents have complained about odours, vermin and noise from late-night recycling operations.
The EPA said it identified a “poor level of compliance” at the site, and received 34 odour complaints linked to the site since May. It still has four active compliance investigations, mainly in relation to odour issues.
It is treating the site as a “national priority site” pending completion of recommended works.
County Clean, which is working with the EPA to address the issues, met with members of the Northside Says No To Rubbish campaign on Wednesday to address their concerns.
Company boss Dave O’Regan said they are willing to transfer their black bag and food waste operations from Churchfield to a new purpose-built transfer and treatment facility that could be built alongside the unused Bottlehill facility.
“To be clear, this would not mean the opening of the landfill but it would mean the use of the existing roads and surrounding infrastructure,” he said.
“In the meantime Country Clean will carry on the running of its existing business in its EPA licensed site while continuing to fast track the EPA recommendations.”.
Residents’ spokesman, Maurice Sheehan, said the proposed Bottlehill solution will only work if both local authorities support it.
Residents are now planning to turn their attention to mounting a huge lobbying campaign aimed at city and county councillors over the coming weeks.
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