A dump in one of the most scenic areas of Co Donegal, which was due to close eight weeks ago, will be closed "within weeks", according to a spokesman for Donegal County Council. The closure is on foot of an order from the Environmental Protection Agency.
The landfill at Muckish near Falcarragh was refused a licence from the EPA after concerns were raised locally about potential pollution of the nearby river system.
A spokeswoman for the EPA said this week that inspectors were aware rubbish was still being dumped in the landfill, as there had been a number of visits to the site.
She could not say if the EPA would now move to prosecute Donegal County Council.
"No decision has been taken yet, but inspectors have visited the site and are about to make a decision on it," she said.
The spokesman for Donegal County Council accepted that it had received correspondence from the EPA highlighting the agency's concerns about the dump remaining open.
He said the council was "taking the concerns of the EPA on board" but that negotiations were ongoing with a number of private waste collection companies on alternative arrangements.
The waste collection companies have said it is not feasible for them to bring rubbish to alternative landfill sites in other parts of the county and have also accused the council of failing to provide transfer stations at landfill sites that are closing.
In July, Donegal County Council said it was going to close Muckish landfill from August 1st because "to continue to dispose of domestic refuse at this site could lead to the council being prosecuted for a breach of the Waste Management Act".
The council spokesman said this week that the statement made in July was accurate but that the arrangements with the private companies had not yet been finalised.
"The closure will pose difficulties for refuse collectors and for local people and we are currently working through these issues. But it will certainly close within weeks," he said.
There are three remaining landfill sites in Co Donegal, but two of these are in the south of the county, at Killybegs and Ballintra. A third landfill at Glenalla near Rathmullen in the north of the county has also been ordered to close by the EPA, but it remains open pending an appeal by the council.