Minister calls for investigation into Wicklow pollution

The Minister of State for Europe, Mr Dick Roche, has called for an investigation to ascertain if there is any connection between a polluted well supplying a housing estate in Blessington, Co Wicklow, and illegally dumped waste in the area.

The illegally dumped waste was discovered by Wicklow Co Council on lands belonging to Roadstone, located within one mile of homes at Deerpark - where residents have been served with "boil notices" by the council on a regular basis for nearly a year.

The Deerpark homes receive their water from a local well which has, according to the council, been contaminated by "bacterial decomposition".

Mr Roche yesterday insisted that "bacterial decomposition was synonymous with illegally dumped waste" and insisted that the entire area sits on a regionally important aquifer.

Roadstone has insisted that the dumping which took place on its lands was done so without its knowledge and in a statement last night described Mr Roche's comments as "unhelpful speculation".

According to council sources, tests which include probes to locate methane gas, thermal imaging and satellite photography have indicated that illegally dumped material may be 50 feet below the surface on Roadstone's Dillonsdown land.

The depth of the waste is, according to the Minister "clear evidence that heavy earth moving machinery was used to bury waste at Dillonsdown".

And he asked: "How could this happen without the knowledge of the company?" The Minister who is a TD for the Wicklow constituency said local people wanted to know how a company the size of Roadstone "could suggest this level of dumping was being carried out on its land without its knowledge."

The entire Blessington area sits on a regionally important aquifer, the people who live here and the people in the greater area which includes South County Dublin need to know that their water is safe to drink".

Wicklow County Council's investigations into the nature and extent of the Dillonsdown dump are continuing.

The council acknowledged last month that it began an investigation of the site after it received information suggesting that Dillonsdown may represent "the alleged largest illegal landfill site in the county".

The council subsequently confirmed that waste had been found.

The Roadstone statement issued last night said: "Roadstone is continuing to co-operate fully with Wicklow County Council's investigation of its lands at Blessington.

"As previously stated, evidence of dumping has been found. These materials were placed there without Roadstone's permission or knowledge. Speculative comment to the contrary is totally unhelpful.

"Until the investigation is completed it would be inappropriate to comment further.

"However, Roadstone categorically denies any knowledge of the placing of this waste on its lands."