The Waterford county manager has undertaken in the High Court not to grant a waste licence for a landfill site at Garrynagree in the west of the county, pending the outcome of legal proceedings.
The manager has also undertaken not to engage in further public consultations on an environmental impact statement regarding the site.
The undertakings were given yesterday in settlement of an application by a local woman for interlocutory orders to the same effect. They will apply pending a decision on the judicial review challenge by Ms Ann Hogan to the county manager's decision to continue to search for a landfill site in Garrynagree.
Ms Hogan, of Barranalira, Dungarvan, is a member of the Lickey Concern Group which objects to waste disposal at Garrynagree.
Last December she was granted leave to challenge a landfill site selection process in west Waterford. She argued that while no decision had been taken to locate such a site at Garrynagree, the county manager was acting contrary to the Waterford County Waste Management Plan 1997-2002 (WCWMP) in continuing a site selection process.
The WCWMP provides for construction of a new landfill site but specifically precludes the location of such a site in the west of the county, she claimed.
It was alleged that the county manager was acting contrary to a council resolution of June 14th last directing him to cease searching for a landfill site in the west of the county.
The council had also defeated another resolution that the consultants appointed by the council to complete the waste management strategy be allowed to finalise their report.
Despite those resolutions, Ms Hogan contended, the county manager was continuing with the site selection process.
The county manager has argued that, following a major site selection process, the site at Garrynagree was found to be the most suitable in the county for a landfill.
He said he is legally obliged to implement the waste management plan and that the position of the council executive has at all times since November 1999 been made abundantly clear.