Local groups opposed to superdumps and incineration projects are expected to step up their campaigns following a disturbing report in Britain that babies born near landfills have an increased risk of birth defects.
The research study of 8.2 million births, published yesterday, showed there was a slightly increased risk of birth defects and low birth-weight infants among families living within two kilometres of landfill sites.
The study did not make a direct link between the birth abnormalities and dumps, but the Imperial College London team, writing in the British Medical Journal, called for more research to determine what caused the defects.
Irish Opposition parties and those campaigning against dumps reacted strongly. The findings are expected to intensify efforts by local groups to block the new superdumps and incinerators, which are central to the Government's waste policy.
Landfills were largely unregulated before 1986, and "literally everything" was dumped into them, according to the Labour Party's environment spokesman, Mr Eamon Gilmore.
The proposed study of Irish landfill sites was nothing but an election ploy, according to Ms Deirdre Clune, Fine Gael spokes woman on the environment.
The Environmental Protection Agency would have to look closely at the report, according to Mr John O'Riordan of the Bottlehill Environmental Alliance, which is opposing a dump between Cork and Mallow.
The EPA, which is responsible for licensing landfill sites in the State, said yesterday it would not comment until it had studied the report in detail.
The Department of Environment and Local Government would have to study the report before it could comment, a spokesman said yesterday.
The Imperial College study identified an increased risk of birth defects for those living within two kilometres of landfill sites.
It calculated that there was a 7 per cent greater chance of neural tube defects such as spina bifida in these children and a 6 per cent increased risk of low birth weight.
Astonishingly, it found that 80 per cent of the British population lives within this 2km risk zone. The team stressed, however, that it had no causes for its findings and it could not show that the dumps were responsible.