6 February 2003

PRESS RELEASE

GREENS CALL ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY TO INVESTIGATE DUMPING ON CEMENT ROADSTONE LANDS - To determine risk to Dublin’s water supply

The Green Party has called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to investigate the significant dumping on the 650 acres of land owned by Cement Roadstone Holdings (CRH) adjacent to the Blessington reservoir in West Wicklow.

Green Party Environment spokesperson, Ciarán Cuffe TD, stated “Wicklow County Council does not have the resources to fully investigate the extent of illegal dumping and it is time to call in the EPA.  Dublin’s water supply is now under threat, as the Roadstone lands drain towards the reservoir that supplies much of Greater Dublin’s water supply.  An Taisce has given us aerial photographs that show the disturbing extent of dumping on the CRH lands.”

Earlier today the Green Party raised the matter in Dáil Eireann.  Mr. Cuffe said that the Green Party has written to the Director General of the Environmental Protection Agency,  Dr. Mary Kelly,  requesting that the Agency urgently investigate illegal dumping upstream of the Blessington reservoir.

Yesterday the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Environment and Local Government heard from Mr. Eddie Sheehy, Wicklow County Manager, that hundreds of thousands of tons of waste have already been discovered in two other unauthorised landfills in Wicklow.

“We are seriously concerned that illegal dumping may be continuing in Wicklow and as a first step we must determine the health risk and the possibility of contamination of Dublin’s water supply.  Therefore it is imperative that the EPA investigate this as a matter of urgency.”

ENDS/