THE ENVIRONMENTAL Protection Agency (EPA) was warned about the danger of vandalism, including fire, at the Kerdiffstown landfill in Co Kildare as far back as last May, the backers of the facility have claimed.
Firefighters from four counties have spent the last three weeks battling the fire, which gardaí now believe was started accidentally by thieves stripping wire.
Nitrogen is being pumped into the burning waste to control the fire. The cost of the operation is estimated to be about €2 million. Locals have complained of respiratory problems from the smoke.
Directors of companies involved in the Kerdiffstown landfill have claimed they told the EPA in writing the forced closure of the business would leave the site unprotected and subject to vandalism with “potentially serious effects”. They also claim they repeatedly but unsuccessfully sought to meet the EPA to point out a forced closure would also lead to a loss of 200 jobs and an investment of €80 million.
Sam Stears and Dr Ted Nealon said the business – which was licensed by the EPA – had engaged on an ambitious infrastructural improvement scheme funded by bank borrowings and income from waste management. They said when they were forced to close, the business was left without money to protect either the site or €60 million worth of equipment.
In a letter to the EPA dated April 7th, 2010, the companies involved in Kerdiffstown, Neiphin Trading, Dean Waste Company and Jenzsoph, said they were in serious financial difficulties due to the recession and efforts to achieve compliance with EPA regulations. The companies sought a meeting with the EPA, saying it was “our last opportunity to avoid insolvency”.
After the EPA secured High Court orders forbidding any further waste being taken on site the companies closed the facility.
In a letter to the EPA dated May 26th, 2010, the companies asked the agency to ensure environmental protection for the site with security to protect from the risks of vandalism, including fire.
The companies said they had no money to secure the site and warned they were “extremely concerned that once security on the site ceases there will be serious cases of vandalism with unknown but potentially serious effects”.
Mr Spears said this week that the companies’ concurrent warnings about fire were referred to the Naas gardaí by the EPA.
In a statement in response, the EPA did not directly address claims it had been warned of the risk of vandalism, including fire. It said a High Court Order had been secured preventing Neiphin Trading from using engineered landfill cells until suitable controls were in place.
It also said that in May 2010 it had been granted an injunction preventing any waste being brought on to the site as a result of stockpiling. It further noted that clean-up orders were made by the court in October 2010 in relation to detailed remediation measures.
“In view of the above and the submittal of a file to the DPP by the EPA, the EPA does not wish to comment further regarding the activities of individual directors,” the statement concluded.
