FERMOY LANDFILL SITE TO BE INVESTIGATED BY CORK COUNTY COUNCIL
A landfill site located on the Pike Road in Fermoy has been listed as one of the seven sites to be investigated by Cork County Council based on the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Code of Practice Environmental Risk Assessment of Unregulated Landfill Sites, which investigates landfills that were in operation between 1977-1997.
However, the Fermoy site is deemed to be low risk, while the other six in the county are rated between moderate and high risk. Based on a study carried out by the Environmental Directorate of Cork County Council the Fermoy landfill is on the site of an old railway line which closed in the 1960s.
‘A bridge to the western side of the site was demolished in 1974 and a road was made on the eastern side of the bridge. For a few years following the demolition of the bridge the railway line to the west was used mainly for the disposal of construction and demolition waste although minor quantities of municipal waste was disposed of here on occasion by the UDC and the council. Uncontrolled dumping also occurred at this site’, states the study.
It also specifies that based on documentary evidence the 0.3 hectare site hasn’t been used since 1981/1982 and that the waste could be buried two metres deep at the western end and nine metres deep at the eastern end. Kieran Coffey, senior executive engineer for the environmental section of Cork County Council, states that the investigation “could be over in two days as most of the waste dumped there is construction waste: construction blocks and mortar. If we find something we’ll investigate further”.
Kieran explains that the investigation will involve “an excavator digging trial holes under the supervision of a geo-technical consultant; then the waste will be logged and the ground will be reinstated.”
Fermoy Mayor Tadhg O’Donovan is welcoming the investigation as he feels it is necessary for it to be carried out due to the proximity of the site to residential areas.
“It has to be acknowledged that there is an element of risk there however small and the county council is under obligation to proceed with the investigation. The public deserves to know what is there in order to avoid unnecessary levels of anxiety”, he stated.
The investigation into the Fermoy site is now at the tendering process, which will be complete by the end of September and the investigation itself should take place by the end of October. A report on the finds will be available early next year.
Published:
Thursday 31st July 7:09pm
