AN EXPERT group met yesterday to discuss an underground fire raging at an abandoned dump at Kerdiffstown, near Naas, Co Kildare.
The local emergency co-ordination committee has access to a specialist report commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and thermal imaging data from the Garda. It is to brief the Minister for the Environment Éamon Ó Cuív on a daily basis.
State agencies are also meeting local residents over the issue.
The EPA, Kildare County Council and the HSE have already met gardaí and the Defence Forces to co-ordinate the response to the fire. That meeting agreed a number of steps relating to security of the site, additional air monitoring and fire fighting.
The fire, which started more than a week ago, has been described as an “environmental emergency” by Charlie Talbot, secretary of Kildare County Council, with the fire services unable to bring it under control.
Smoke containing elevated levels of sulphur-dioxide has prompted some local residents to leave their homes, and the council is considering whether a wider evacuation may be required.
According to the EPA, indications are the burning material consists of wood waste with some 10 per cent plastic. It added that monitoring revealed no air quality standard breaches “although it has been recognised that the fire and the site itself has caused concerns for local people”.
Mr Ó Cuív is to provide immediate funding to deal with the fire. This will be used to extinguish the blaze and provide security at the site.
The EPA has called on SKM Enviros, British consultants with expertise in landfill fires, for advice.
The consultants have advised the use of liquid nitrogen to deal with the blaze.
The Minister has held meeting with the council, EPA officials and local TDs.
The Kerdiffstown site was shut down last year on foot of a High Court order which was sought by the EPA.
Since then Neiphin Trading Ltd – which had been operating the dump – has gone into liquidation, with associated companies either in receivership or no longer trading.
The EPA is now seeking orders in the High Court against the directors of Neiphin, Dean Waste and Jenzsoph to make them liable for the cost of cleaning up the site.
A report commissioned by the EPA last year estimated this could be as much as €30 million.