Residents in the Ashbourne area of Co Meath have formed an action group to oppose any plans to site a new landfill for Fingal within a quarter of a mile of the town.
A public meeting attended by several hundred people in the Ashbourne House Hotel last night was told by a consulting engineer, Mr Oliver Russell, that a 1,200-acre site at Palmerstown, Ashbourne, was one of five shortlisted by Fingal County Council as a replacement for the Baleally dump near Rush.
"The Baleally landfill is due to close in 2004, which means the decision on a replacement will have to be made in the near future," Mr Russell said.
A "superdump" at Palmers town would overlook Ashbourne and would make no sense, as most residential development in the town - which is expected to grow from 8,000 to 17,000 inhabitants in the coming 10 years - was scheduled to take place on that side of the town, according to a local estate agent, Mr Ronald Duff. The meeting was organised by the Palmerstown/ Ashbourne Residents Against A Superdump.
According to its chairman, Mr Michael Clince, there is a real fear among local people that if the landfill was sited there, it would create problems with congestion on the roads, smells, rat infestation and a loss of amenity.