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An Taisce welcomes landmark EPA ruling on Waterford Landfill

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have made a landmark ruling refusing a waste licence application by Waterford County Council for a landfill at Garrynagree, Co Waterford between Dungarvan and Youghal in West Waterford.

The licence application was refused because of its location “on or adjacent to a candidate Special Area of Conservation, the River Lickey which contains the Freshwater Pearl Mussel”.

The EPA ruled that the location would pose an “unacceptable risk of environmental pollution to the river”   and  “a real and ever present danger to the Freshwater Pearl Mussel Margaritifera Margaritifera”. 

It was further stated that the construction operation of a landfill would be inappropriate “having regard to the objectives of the EU Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC”

Referring to the rare and endangered status of the Freshwater Pearl Mussel, it stated that:  “Taking into account the sensitivity of the Freshwater Pearl Mussel, any impact on water quality could have a significant and irreversible impact on the population fot he Freshwater Pearl Mussel”   and that “construction of a landfill facility at this location is not appropriate”.  It further ruled that  “the applicant has not demonstrated, to the satisfaction of the agency, that appropriate measures would be taken to avoid the deterioration of the natural habitat of the Freshwater Pearl Mussel”  and that “there would be an unacceptable risk of the disturbance of the species from the construction and operation of a landfill” and that the applicant “has not demonstrated”  that the habitat of the Freshwater Pearl Mussel “can be protected at all times”

This decision has been made notwithstanding the grant of permission by An Bord Pleanala for the development of the landfill facility. This decision vindicates the concerns raised by An Taisce and local residents who made submission to the EPA at application stage.

An Taisce considers the decision to be a landmark one for nature conservation in Ireland and which would have the effect of achieving a higher standard of the vetting of nature conservation sensitivity for development sites in the future.

The full decision may be viewed on the EPA website www.epa.ie  ref. 187-1

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Statement attributable to an An Taisce spokesperson