Nenagh residents wary of toxic dust threat

Locals in Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, have expressed concern at the impact which toxic dust blowing from an old mine site may be having on their health.

A plan to prevent it continuing has failed. North Tipperary County Council was told of the dust from the 150-acre Mogul of Ireland-owned tailings pond at Gortmore on Friday, June 9th. It was not until late on Saturday that tractors and slurry spreaders were on site to spray water to dampen down the dust.
Local farmer John Maher indicated the potential danger which residents were facing.

“The pond is now drying out fast again, and we are sitting on a time bomb. If we get a storm here huge quantities of dust could blow from the pond and end up in Nenagh. We would definitely have to leave our homes if a storm blew,” he said.
Michael Grey, another local resident, stated that it took too long for council and Mogul to put the emergency plan into practice. He added that the dust was all over the outside of his house and on his car.

The dust was found to have traces of lead, cadmium and zinc. Work to stop further blows of toxic dust is due to start on Tuesday, June 13th. It had been agreed with the company that contractors would dredge the Kilmastulla river and spread the material over the bare areas of the pond.