The following is the text of an EPA release dated 25th May 2011 relating to the remediation works at Kerdiffstown:

Remedial works continue at the Kerdiffstown landfill site. Following the installation of 24 gas abstraction wells, the next steps will see a plastic membrane installed in the area of the lined cell, and a clay cover in the North West region of the site.

Once the gas control layers are in place, gas will be pumped from the gas abstraction wells to two fully covered gas flare units on site (flames will not be visible). You can see the proposed location of these gas flares on the site map at the bottom of this update. These units are used at landfills all over the world as the best means to control odour. They will burn off the landfill gas at a high temperature, thereby destroying the compounds responsible for the odour issues.

These flares are being custom-made to a high specification for the site and will be delivered in the first week of June. The gas control membrane, clay cover and the flares should result in a marked improvement in the control of odours coming from the site, but during the commissioning period they will not be at full effectiveness in terms of odour control.

As noted in previous updates, the works to put these measures in place may themselves lead to odour issues, as potentially odorous waste is disturbed. The impact on the local community of any odours generated is highly dependant on weather conditions - air pressure / wind directions and so on. The EPA will strive to minimize the impact of odorous gas. The EPA has planned this work to proceed as quickly as possible to minimise odour issues, but there is still the possibility that odours will be generated for a period of time. Please let us know if you experience landfill odour issues arising from the site by using the contact details provided below.

The EPA will continue to issue Community Update notices as works at the site roll out.

ENDS

Review of the Environmental Protection Agency – Submissions to be made on/before 28^th May 2010

We would recommend all individuals and residents associations to take an interest and make a submission.

Remember numbers do count!!!!!!

The address is as follows:-

Environment Policy Section,
Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government,
Newtown Road,
Wexford
Co. Wexford. 

The grounds for the submission amongst others could be as follows:-

1.    The EPA currently has no executive powers to close either temporarily or permanently a licensed facility which is acting in a non compliant manner.  Instead it must pursue errant individuals / companies through the courts.  This is an arduous, expensive and extremely time-consuming task. Whilst this course of action is being pursued, the errant individuals / companies seem to be able to continue without any regard for the law.  This is of concern as our environment can in a very short space of time become highly polluted and irretrievably so.  In some other cases where there is a breach of a license given by other agencies and where there is a risk to life, a facility may be shut down immediately.  We are talking about risks here, they may not be as obvious, but they are there none the less.

2.    The Board of Directors of the Environmental Protection Agency comprises all Executive Directors.  There are no independent non-executive directors on the Board and this is not an appropriate Board composition especially for a State Board.

3.    There is real and good reason for all licenses to be issued subject to suitable bonds being put in place to ensure that there is funding in the event that facilities close without fulfilling there obligations.