EPA refuses permission for planned Roadstone landfill

The Environmental Protection Agency has refused to give the quarrying company Roadstone permission to construct a landfill in Co Wicklow.

The company was seeking permission to build the facility to deal with tens of thousands of tons of waste found illegally dumped on its lands near Blessington five years ago.

However, the EPA has refused to approve the landfill and has also announced plans to appoint an expert to ensure the illegal waste is properly removed and disposed of elsewhere.

EPA director Padraig Larkin said today that the proposed site for the landfill was totally unsuitable and could have threatened the safety of drinking supplies.

"It's not that far from the Blessington Wells, which feed water to the town of Blessington, and it's not that far from the Poulaphouca Reservoir, which feeds water into Dublin city," he said.

"Even from a very cursory glance, you can see that it's not a good place to have a landfill with waste in it forever."