Residents of Blessington in Co Wicklow will attend a public meeting tonight to discuss concerns that an important underground water supply in the town may have been contaminated by illegal dumping.
An Taisce chairman Frank Corcoran, who called the meeting, claims he has documents from the Department of the Environment which confirm contamination of the water source, known as an aquifer, which is destined to supply water to hundreds of new homes in the town.
It is located close to the Blessington lakes under Roadstone quarries where large-scale illegal dumping was uncovered in recent years.
Roadstone has consistently denied any knowledge of how the municipal and construction waste was placed on its land.
The waste was revealed by thermal imaging undertaken by spotter planes commissioned by Wicklow County Council more than two years ago.
It is thought that several hundred thousand tonnes of municipal waste may be dumped on the site. The company is co-operating with the council over the remediation of the site.
Mr Corcoran said yesterday that new housing in the area would be getting water from the aquifer.
Having hired a helicopter to take photographs for a report subsequently submitted to former EU environment commissioner Margot Wallström, Mr Corcoran maintained the aquifer had been uncovered and rubbish was clearly visible floating in it.
He will make a detailed presentation to the meeting at 8pm tonight in the West Wicklow House in Blessington.
