|
A judgment will be given next week on an EPA application
for an injunction preventing A1 Waste from disposing waste
at a landfill in Kerdiffstown, Naas, Co Kildare.
A1
Waste is the largest firm in Dublin dealing in construction
and demolition waste. It also collects commercial and some
household waste.
In 2003, the EPA granted Neiphin Trading, a company associated
with A1 Waste, a waste licence to operate a landfill in Kerdiffstown.
SC for the EPA, Nuala Butler, said the Agency is concerned
that the Neiphin facility is causing serious environmental
pollution because of strong odours from landfill gas and odours
from composting activities (Click
Here).
She said the agency had received 312 complaints since last
August from residents and from the GPA Golf Club, which is
located next door to the facility.
In one affidavit, a resident, Robert Dunleavy, who lives
2km from the landfill said smells from the facility had become
unbearable and that he and his wife were in the process of
moving house to temporary rented accommodation. Mr Dunleavy
said the smells had forced him to vomit on a number of occasions.
A1 Waste claims that granting the injunction would 'effectively
shut down the business', make 106 employees redundant
and have significant knock-on effects for 50 indirect jobs.
SC for Neiphin Trading, Shane Murphy, said the EPA was trying
to stop the heart of the A1 Waste operation and that the company
has a template of measures that they are willing to implement
to address the odour problems.
Ms Butler asked why they have not taken any action since
last July, when EPA inspectors raised issues with the facility.
She added that the measures being put forward by the company
were not approved by the EPA.
The High Court heard that the EPA is taking separate court
action against Neiphin Trading and others for the illegal
disposal of 1.1m tonnes of waste in another unengineered section
of the Neiphin facility. A1 Waste claims the deposited material
is being stored there pending recycling/recovery.
Mr Justice Ryan will give his judgement on the EPA application
on Monday (22nd Feb).
|
