Carlow County Council is to consider taking legal action under the Waste Management Act against those responsible for three unlicensed dumping operations in the county.
The local authority is reviewing its options after receiving a preliminary report from consultants.
The consultants examined two of the three sites, at Ardristan and Clonegal.
A third, much smaller unlicensed operation at Ratheden, is ongoing, and the council has sent a notice to the operator asking him to desist immediately.
None of the waste found at the three locations is believed to be medical or toxic.
However, the local authority is now studying a report from a firm of consulting engineers, O'Leary Russell, as to the next course of action in respect of the Ardristan and Clonegal sites, which primarily contained construction waste.