One of five sites in north Dublin and Meath shortlisted for a new landfill has been eliminated following a study on the risk to aircraft of bird strike.
Fingal County Council said yesterday it had dropped a tract of land in Palmerstown, north Co Dublin, as a potential site for a modern landfill to replace the 30-year-old Balleally dump.
"A study of birds as potential hazards to aircraft found that a landfill site in the Palmerstown region could significantly increase the bird-strike risk to aircraft at Dublin Airport," the council said in a statement.
The study was carried out by the Bird Management Unit at the Central Science Laboratory of the British Department of the Environment.
The council claimed, however, the study also showed that developing a landfill site at any of the other four shortlisted sites could reduce the bird-strike risk.
"Air safety is one of our priorities, so we have acted immediately on the findings by these best-qualified international experts and eliminated the lands at Palmerstown from the shortlist of new landfill sites," said Mr P.J. Howell, director of environmental services with Fingal County Council.
A spokesman for the Palmerstown Ashbourne Residents Against the Superdump said his group was delighted with the news but would continue to support a number of other committees opposing landfill sites in the area.