26 October 2005
Press Release
Re: Council responds to issues raised by Meenaboll opposition group
Speaking following the recent publicity on the proposed landfill development at Meenaboll, Mr. Jim Holohan, Director of Service for Water, Environment and Emergency in Donegal County Council stated that “the recent publicity surrounding this proposed landfill site has generated a lively debate and this can only be a good thing”.
“It is only natural for local people to be concerned about the development of landfill sites near their homes and it is the Council’s objective to make sure that people have accurate and factual information available to them so that they can make informed decisions” stated Mr. Holohan.
He added that “the site at Meenaboll was chosen as a landfill to serve the areas of West and Mid Donegal after an extensive and lengthy site selection exercise considering many relevant constraints for landfill locations.”
The Council has prepared a statement addressing, in a factual manner, a number of issues raised recently so that people have an opportunity to assess this proposed development in an open and informed way.
Public Consultation
Refering to comments that local people are being ignored, the Council has noted that it has met with local residents on three separate occasions. The first meeting with local people took place in November 2002 at the proposed site prior to Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) public open days and this was organised by An Taisce. The next meeting with local people took place in June 2004 and a further meeting took place at the site, after the EIS public open days, in November 2004.
In addition to these meetings Donegal County Council held open days in Fintown and Gartan in May 2003. A model of the facility was displayed at the Donegal County Council offices in Letterkenny and Milford in early 2004. Further open days were also held during October and November 2004. The EIS and Waste Licence application were made available for inspection at all Donegal County Council offices.
Surface Water
A number of concerns has been raised in relation to the surface drainage of the proposed site, The surface drainage of this site naturally drains towards the Sruhanpollandoo stream due to surface gradients. The stream is a tributary of the Cummirk River and is consequently within the Finn Catchment. Detailed topographical surveys of the area were undertaken on the site in conjunction with existing maps and a visual inspection of the surface water flows at the site. Based on this information, no surface water originating within the boundary of the proposed landfill site would naturally drain to the Gartan catchment.
A section of the Sruhanpollandoo stream is within the boundary of the proposed facility. The length of the Sruhanpollandoo stream which runs within the boundary of the proposed facility will be culverted and any surface water collected on site will pass through constructed wetlands prior to discharging into the Sruhanpollandoo at the western boundary of the facility. The stream does not flow through the area where waste will be filled.
The groundwater contours on the site mirror those of the surface water. This was demonstrated in the detailed site investigations and hydrogeological assessment of the site as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment of the facility and included comprehensive monitoring of groundwater levels beneath the site.
Recent reports in the local press have indicated that Teagasc and Coillte have contrary opinions in relation to the catchment which the site lies in. During the original consultation period with statutory bodies, Teagasc indicated that the study area, which covered an area of 43 hectares including an extensive area beyond the proposed boundary of the facility, lay within both the Finn and Gartan catchment. This was supported by the detailed assessment of the study area. The proposed site, which covers an area of 14.5 hectares, has been strategically located to ensure that the landfill is not within the Gartan catchment. In relation to the comments attributed to Coillte they have confirmed that they have not made comments about which catchment the site is located in.
Rainfall
Met Eireann records indicate that the 30 year annual average rainfall in the area is 1600mm. The design of the site takes all aspects of the location including elevation and fluctuations in rainfall into consideration and as such the site will be operated to control leachate production on the site.
When rainwater falls on operational areas of the landfill site, the rainwater infiltrates the waste and this produces leachate. All leachate on site is collected in engineered cells and ultimately tankered off site. Leachate does not discharge into any surface water.
Leachate generated on site will be removed from the storage tanks on site during the working day. There are several Waste Water Treatment Plants which may be used to dispose of leachate and the Letterkenny treatment plant is currently at advanced stages for upgrading the facility.
Site Aftercare
The site will be regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency and monitoring of the site and the surrounding area will continue long after the closure of the site to ensure that pollution from the site does not arise.
Engineered Lining System
The site is engineered with several layers to a depth of 1.3m prior to any waste being placed on the site. These layers include drainage layers, clay barrier layer and a 2mm thick HDPE liner. This engineered system will only be placed on suitably prepared surfaces and all peat material will be excavated prior to placing the engineered system. Excavated peat from the site will ultimately be used for restoration purposes on the site.
Site Selection
Prior to the selection of Meenaboll as the preferred location for a regional landfill, a county wide site selection study was undertaken to identify suitable areas for landfill development within the county. The process of site selection of new landfills commenced with establishing what criteria are to be used in the selection process. The EPA has produced guidelines on how the site selection process should be carried out and what criteria should be involved. The Guidelines set out a decision making pathway the first stage of which is the formation of a constraint study. A Constraint Study effectively sets out to establish areas of the County where the development of a landfill would be unsuitable. In order to relate the site selection criteria to County Donegal, a Geographical Information System (GIS) of the County was utilised. The GIS analysis confirmed that Meenaboll does not lie within an area classified as being unsuitable for landfill development.
Freedom of Information
Donegal County Council are subject to FOI and operate in a clear and transparent manner. A full environmental assessment of the site is detailed in the comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Waste Licence Application for the proposed development. Both these documents are available for public inspection at the offices of Donegal County Council during normal opening hours. A copy of the Non Technical Summary of the EIS is available on the Donegal County Council website (www.donegal.ie).
ENDS
For further information contact:
Suzanne Tinney, Waste Awareness Officer 074 91 72538
Or
Anne Marie Conlon
Communications Officer
Donegal County Council
Tel: 074 91 72574
Mob: 087 9192275
Email: amconlon@donegalcoco.ie