Illegal dumping - Roadstone case should set precedent

THE unusually tough stance adopted by the Environmental Protection Agency in the Roadstone dumping controversy will be welcomed up and down the country, especially in scenic areas where cowboy operators have been tipping waste for years.

The quarrying firm now faces a multi-million euro disposal bill following the EPA’s refusal to allow it create an “engineered” landfill facility for tens of thousands of tonnes of waste illegally dumped on its lands near Blessington in west Wicklow.

Roadstone’s persistent claim it was unaware of what was going on beggars belief. Indeed, it is reminiscent of its parent company (CRH)’s corporate ignorance about the activities of chairman Des Traynor who was running the notorious Ansbacher tax evasion scam from the company’s headquarters.

While each case must be judged on its merits, the hope is that the EPA’s no-nonsense approach to pollution in the Garden of Ireland will set a precedent for similar cases of illegal dumping around the country.

Though large-scale illegal dumping may no longer be happening, the clandestine disposal of waste in country lanes and ditches is increasing at an alarming rate. Ever since the introduction of refuse charges, our country roads have been turned into dumps.

Against this depressing backdrop, it is crucial for State agencies and local authorities to drive home the message that environmental crime does not pay.