EPA Prosecutes Dundalk Town Council

On the 26 May 2004 at Dundalk District Court, Dundalk Town Council pleaded guilty to four charges under Section 39 of the Waste Management Act, 1996 after it had breached conditions of its waste licence.

The charges related to the failure to put in place the necessary infrastructure required for the handling and management of landfill gas and leachate.

The court imposed a fine of €1,200 for each of the charges, and awarded full costs to the Agency of €4,596.

The Council’s landfill facility, located at Newry Road, Dundalk, Co Louth, was licensed on 20 April 2001 for the phased closure of the landfill.  A major requirement of the licence included the installation of infrastructure to collect and manage landfill gas from all areas within the facility by 20 October 2001.  The Council was also required to install, commission and maintain a leachate management system at the facility for the protection of surface and groundwaters by 20 April 2002.

The prosecution was taken following the outcome of an audit and ongoing site investigations undertaken by the Office of Environment Enforcement and continued failure by the Council to comply with its licence requirements.