North Tipperary County Council has confirmed it will begin public consultation on the proposed remediation plan for the toxic mining waste sites in Silvermines later this month.
Last August, the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Noel Dempsey, announced the provision of €10.6 million funding by the State for the rehabilitation of the toxic mining waste sites, remnants of concentrated zinc mining in the area in the 1960s and 1970s. The first stage of the process will take place later this month.
North Tipperary County Council will be responsible for having an agreed rehabilitation scheme executed and the project will be carried out in accordance with the updated conceptual plan for the management and rehabilitation of the Silvermines area as prepared by UK-based consultants SRK Consulting.
The council will start a public consultation process with an information day organised for the local hall on November 22nd when officials will outline reports and maps and will be available to answer queries.
In addition to this, the local community has organised a public meeting on Thursday, December 1st, where council officials will again engage with any concerned members of the public.
North Tipperary TD Michael Lowry said he welcomed this move forward and encouraged people to make submissions to the council on the clean-up plan.
He was particularly satisfied that residents were going to be involved in the remediation process by means of a consultative committee which will be established during the public meeting on December 1st.
"When the remediation plan was announced in August, I sought a guarantee from both the council and the department that a wide-ranging consultation would take place. I am delighted that the council are now in a position to begin that public consultation process."