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Tag Archives: dumping

Councillors highlight East Clare fly-tipping concerns

A DUMPING incident blocked a road in South East Clare and resulted in a county councillor having to get a tractor out to clear the way for children travelling to school, the local authority has heard. At the May meeting, Councillor Pat O’Gorman described Gallows Hill, Cratloe and Meelick as “particular hotspots for dumping”. He made his comments in support of a motion from Councillor PJ Ryan, who asked the authority to reduce the cost of disposing of mattresses and suites of furniture, in the hope that it might discourage fly-tipping. Councillor Ryan said he had to report mattresses dumped on the road and the riverbank in Meelick. “I was struck by the cost,” he said. “It needed a JCB, a truck, a general operative for traffic, a general operative to handle the lifting and an overseer. “Within days, I had to get furniture removed from a nearby hill. It costs €20 to dispose of a mattress and €50 for …

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Further clarity sought over use of CCTV to tackling fly-tipping

CLARITY has once again been sought over the use of CCTV to convict those involved in illegal dumping, in light of concerns raised the Data Protection Commissioner about remotely-operated cameras. A question was tabled at the November meeting of the local authority by Councillor Alan O’Callaghan, asking whether or not footage could be used in prosecutions. The Fianna Fáil member noted that the issue had come up at the most recent meeting of the Joint Policing Committee (JPC). He said he had been “taken aback” by the advice given there. “It seems that the Data Protection Commissioner has highlighted issues,” he said, “however, we all watch programs where Gardaí make appeals for dashcam footage. It’s very frustrating. We are trying to battle dumping and littering issues across Clare.” Councillor O’Callaghan noted that his party colleague Councillor Cillian Murphy had drawn his attention to an article reporting that 64 littering fines were issued in Tipperary thanks to the use of CCTV …

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Illegal dumping ‘outrageous, disgraceful and embarrassing.’

THERE has been a very significant increase in the level of illegal dumping around Clare and unauthorised Limerick waste collectors are dumping tonnes of rubbish here, the recent Clare County Council meeting heard. A number of the members brought motions before the meeting on the theme of illegal dumping, including Councillor Alan O’Callaghan, who said that in Limerick City it is estimated that 25 unauthorised collectors operate.  “They are coming to East Clare and South-East Clare with tonnes of rubbish, not bags,” he observed. Where people are fined for illegal dumping, their details should be published on the council’s website, he said. While GDPR has been put forward as a reason for CCTV cameras not being in place to combat illegal dumping, he said that it should be used. Councillor Joe Cooney described the current situation as “outrageous, disgraceful and embarrassing”. He also called for the use of CCTV and with so many unlicensed operators operating nearby, he said the …

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Council crackdown on backyard burning

Clare County Council is continuing its crackdown on backyard burning after one North Clare man was recently given two four-month prison sentences, which were suspended for a two-year period. While this case, which involved the unauthorised burning of almost one tonne of waste in a builder’s skip, isn’t a typical one, the council has warned that any type of waste disposal using a fire, regardless of the scale, is illegal. It also warned that repeat offenders and anyone engaged in large-scale illegal burning faces the prospect of €4,000 in fines or a prison sentence on conviction. The penalty imposed in the latest prosecution places the spotlight on a practice that is still continuing, despite previous warnings, with 22 complaints received by the local authority so far this year. Burning waste is an offence under the Air Pollution Act 1987 and The Waste Management (Prohibition of Waste Disposal by Burning) Regulations 2009, which strengthened the law against waste disposal by uncontrolled burning [backyard burning]. …

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€1.7 million spent on waste enforcement

THERE were just nine prosecutions in relation to illegal dumping in Clare last year, county council figures show. At this week’s meeting of the council, members were told over €1.7 million was spent on running the council’s waste enforcement section over the last four years. While there have been “very few large-scale illegal dumps” in Clare in recent years, there have been increasing incidences of people dumping small amounts of waste. As well as the nine prosecutions, there were 75 litter fines in 2014. Various members voiced their disgust at the level of illegal dumping, with calls for new penalties. Councillors Clare Colleran Molloy, Pat McMahon and Michael Hillery put down a joint motion asking for information on illegal dumping, including the number of prosecutions, the financial cost to the council of illegal dumping and information on patterns of dumping, in each of the last four years. In her written reply Anne Haugh, of the council’s environment section, outlined the …

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Asbestosis leaves Cyril on oxygen

Dan Danaher Exclusive PEOPLE living near nine asbestos dumps in West Clare should not attempt to examine or remove it, an Ennis pensioner, who has contracted the life-limiting asbestosis disease, warned this week. Seventy-nine-year-old, Cyril Quinn made the call, as Clare County Council continues its investigations into the alleged dumping of asbestos on public and private lands in Kilrush and Kilkee. Mr Quinn stressed that only personnel who were qualified to remove dangerous substances should be allowed to handle asbestos, once they were dressed from head to toe in protective clothing. Cyril requires an oygen supply practically on a 24-hour basis and needs to go on a nebuliser four times a day. His sitting room had to be converted into a bedroom as he is no longer able to climb his stairs. He said a neighbour of his died from asbestosis, while it has also claimed the lives of other Irish people who were working with asbestos in England down …

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Council to remove asbestos from nine sites

  CLARE County Council has confirmed that it has commissioned an external independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the depositing of asbestos-cement materials at a number of sites throughout West Clare. The council says it has informed the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) of its intention to remove the hazardous waste material from nine separate locations in the vicinity of Kilrush and Kilkee. A specialist asbestos consultant has been engaged by the council to advise the authority on the removal of the materials. West Clare county councillors have been informed about the process while the council has confirmed it will be liasing with members of the public living in the vicinity of the affected sites about the remedial works that are due to take place. “Clare County Council’s environment section received a complaint from a member of the public last June regarding a number of areas where asbestos waste materials were deposited. The council has since identified nine sites where …

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Asbestos dumping under investigation

By Peter  O’Connell CLARE County Council is investigating claims that there are at least nine asbestos dumps in the Kilrush and Kilkee areas of West Clare. The asbestos waste was dumped on both public and private lands and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) confirmed on Wednesday that it has been contacted on the issue. The matter was raised by Councillor PJ Kelly at Monday’s Kilrush Electoral Area meeting. He later told The Clare Champion that he had discovered that it would cost up to €2.9m to pay for the clean up operation. The council maintains, however, that the figure involved cannot be determined at this stage, as cost associated with carrying out these works “are as yet undetermined”. In a statement on Wednesday evening, Clare County Council said, “All of the asbestos material investigated to date consists of broken pieces of asbestos cement water main. It is considered that all of this material originated on Clare County Council water services …

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