High cost of illegal turlough dumping

An illegal dump “of some significance” at a nationally important turlough in South Galway will cost thousands to clean up, a local senator has said.

Around two tonnes of rubbish was discovered at an illegal dump beside a lake near Gort, Labour’s Lorraine Higgins confirmed.

Senator Higgins, who first raised the matter last week, said Galway County Council was left with a bill of several thousand euros after the discovery was made at Caherglassaun Lake.

“When I was first contacted on the matter, I went to the site and it was clear this was an illegal operation of some significance,” said Senator Higgins.

“Unfortunately, it will be the ratepayers of Galway who will be left picking up the tab for the clean-up unless the culprits involved in this illegal dump are brought to court and made pay for the extensive damage they’ve caused to the local environment.”

Caherglassaun Turlough is located about 6km north-west of Gort, just outside of the Coole Nature Reserve and 5km south-east of Kinvara. It has a permanent lake at its core and at times of high water, the site floods, giving a depth of 11 metres.

Senator Higgins pointed out that Caherglassaun is of considerable conservation value and has been rated as the sixth most important large turlough in a recent national survey, based on vegetation.

“The lake is also renowned for its natural habitat of rare plants and animals, for fishing and it fathoms belief that someone would deliberately dump rubbish there, not to mention the total disregard there has been for local water sources,” said Senator Higgins.

According to the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Caherglassaun Turlough is a designated Special Area of Conservation and is home to three rare plant species.

“Caherglassaun is of considerable conservation value… based on vegetation,” according to the NPWS. “It has the most pronounced ‘tidal’ fluctuation of any large site and is remarkable for its complement of rare plants and animals.”

Senator Higgins said the location of the illegal dump of “quite a bit of household waste” not only represented the destruction of a scenic area but also posed an environmental and public health risk.

“It would be a place which would have special amenity value in the area certainly and perhaps recreational as well. More disturbing again is that if there was run-off from it, it might enter the water supply and could make people in the areas of Gort and Kinvara sick. It was great to spot the rubbish and then to get such a positive response from the relevant authorities, including the EPA, Inland Fisheries and Galway County Council. They have all liaised well together since I started this campaign and the rubbish is expected to be moved forthwith,” she commented.

Senator Higgins is warning people to be cautious about their waste collection and remember that they are liable under the law if their waste is found to be illegally dumped.

“I would urge people in the constituency that if anyone arrives at their door and offers to dispose of household waste for a fee that seems below market price, or any price for that matter, they are fully entitled to find out if that person has a permit to dispose of the rubbish. If they do not have a permit, I would urge people not to use them because it is the householder that will be liable for prosecution.

“Householders have an obligation and a duty to find out where their waste is going. People can end up with convictions if their waste is being dumped illegally when they may have given their rubbish to someone to dispose of. They must be mindful of the fact that they are ultimately responsible for the disposal of their own rubbish,” Senator Higgins concluded.