Clare County Council has decided to stop disposing of the county's waste next year because of the impending closure of the county's only landfill site.
The move to withdraw the commercial and domestic refuse collection in Clare follows a decision by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to halt land-filling at the county's central landfill, ruling it may continue to cause pollution.
The council has appealed the EPA decision, postponing a possible closure of Doora landfill until February.
Even if the council is successful, the site will close by the end of June following a High Court order secured by locals.
With no central landfill facility in place, possibly until 2002, the council will be forced to allow private operators to deal with the county's waste and dispose of it in landfills in other counties. The nearest site is at Gortnadromma, Co Limerick.
In the council's draft estimates for 2001, the county manager, Mr Willie Moloney, says the closure of Doora "places the council in an almost impossible situation".
He says a move by the council to dispose of the county's waste at another location "would place an intolerable financial burden on the council".
The council has calculated that when Doora closes it would cost £1.8 million over six months to dispose of the county's waste elsewhere.
Transport costs to another landfill during that period would cost £250,000, while the council would lose £800,000 on gate fees at Doora and pay a similar sum at other landfills.
Rejecting this option, Mr Moloney says: "The implementation of this arrangement would require, at a minimum, a doubling of existing refuse collection and refuse disposal charges. The overall approach is clearly beyond the financial scope of the council and cannot be contemplated."
Preparing for the EPA upholding its decision to close Doora landfill, Mr Moloney has decided that the county's refuse collection is to cease on Monday, March 5th, 2001.
The council is to provide a service up to and including February and will not impose charges for the two-month period.
The move is to be discussed by the full council on Tuesday.
A private waste contractor estimated yesterday that it could cost householders in the county £250 per year for the disposal of waste. The council now charges £120.
