RESIDENTS in north county Dublin breathed a huge sigh
of relief last week when Fingal County Council announced that it was not going
to proceed with its plan to build a super dump at Nevitt, near Lusk.
The Fingal Landfill project overcame a final legal
challenge to its development last month, following the granting of the
necessary planning consent and waste licence. The process of developing a new
landfill for Dublin began in 1997.
However, Fingal County Council, in consultation with
the three other Dublin local authorities, has decided not to proceed with the
next step towards developing the site due to the large costs that would be
involved and the changed circumstances which have rendered the project no
longer viable.
Lands that were acquired for the development over four
years ago remain in the ownership of the council but the council will not now
proceed with the Complusory Purchase Order (CPO) of further land in the area.
Fingal County Manager David O’Connor said:
“We
developed this project in good faith for the past 14 years as we had a clear
responsibility under the Dublin Waste Management Plan to provide the people of
Dublin with the infrastructure they needed and to follow Government policy.
“We have now reached a crucial juncture and in light
of changed circumstances, the decision to proceed would incur major costs of up
to $45 million, which in today’s market and in light of evolving national
policy could not now be justified.
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Dublin North TD Brendan Ryan (Lab) said it was the
correct decision.
“There were many environmental reasons why this
proposal should never have even gotten off the ground,
? he told Northside
People.
“However, the primary reason was the location of an
aquifer beneath the proposed landfill site.
“The potential for contamination of the surrounding
countryside, which relies very heavily on horticulture and the growing of
produce, was too great for such a landfill site to go ahead.
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Deputy Ryan added:
“I was proud to stand shoulder to
shoulder with the local people in opposition to this proposal over the last
number of years and I share with them relief that Fingal County Council have
dropped the project.
“It is a shame that it has taken 14 years to come to
this decision as it has been a time of great uncertainty for many people in the
area.
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