EPA rejects Roadstone's attempt to build landfill

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has denied the quarrying firm, Roadstone, the right to build a large landfill in west Wicklow to deal with tens of thousands of tons of illegally discarded waste.
Roadstone, which is the subsidiary of global building materials supplier CRH, stated that it hoped the EPA would allow it build a specially-engineered landfill to safely dispose of the material.

In 2001 a number of illegal dumps were found in Co. Wicklow. Some of them were discovered at a quarry owned by Roadstone.
It emerged on Friday, February 10th, that the EPA has refused to grant the firm permission to build the landfill.
The EPA will now appoint a neutral expert to ensure that what it terms 'all potentially polluting wastes' are excavated. It is likely that all Roadstone lands will be examined in case there are more than the three illegal dumps already identified.
The expert will be on-site to make sure that the illegal waste is processed and dispatched for safe disposal in regulated facilities elsewhere.

The EPA says the decision offers the best solution to illegally dumped waste and gives a high level of protection of the environment and public health.