Residents' relief as 19-year old landfill is finally dumped

Residents in the area have given a relieved welcome to the news that Ballydonagh landfill will close this month, however after 19 years, it will take more than a few weeks for the feelings of frustration, anger and stress to die away. With numerous residents and passers-by reporting a bad smell last Friday and Saturday when the heavy rain fell, there are some concerns that because a transfer station will remain open for the use of private contractors, the smell could continue. Phil Doyle was a member of the Ballydonagh landfill action group that was established by local residents to mount a campaign to get the dump closed. She said that the smell has improved but is at its worst when it rains. "I don't think it will make any difference to us if it's closed... The rain pushes up the gas through the plastic. Last night I had two windows open and I could get the smell. It won't get any worse, but only if they keep the gas burning off. Who's responsible for that now, to make sure the gas is being burnt off? It might improve but my worry is the gas, who's going to keep it lit? We'll just have to wait and see." She added that the council used to allow local residents to dump their rubbish free of charge, but now they will have to pay the private company that will continue to operate the site, taking in acidic waste. Referring to the judgement in the EPA case taken against Westmeath County Council, she said that although their claims were proved and believed by the judge, the residents: "We got nothing, what about the Joe Soaps, what do we get out of it?". Anthony McCarthy was also a member of the action group. He said it's a great thing for locals that the dump is being shut. "Only for Cllr 'Boxer' Moran, he stood by us all the time. Only for him we'd be in limbo for all those years. He stood up for us," he added. However, financially, there is good news for locals using the various waste collection services in Athlone as waste collection prices look set to remain at competitive prices. Allied Waste Management said that they will be using a number of different landfills now, but that Kentstown in Co Meath and Drehid landfill near Edenderry are the main sites used. "The distance is a bit of a problem to drive but it's not likely that there will be any increase in price because there's so much competition and the landfill prices are lower than Westmeath County Council's (at Ballydonagh)," said a spokesperson. "It's all good for customers, they are paying less than 12 months ago when the council provided a service." Advanced Environmental Solutions (AES), a waste company owned by Bord na Móna, stopped using Ballydonagh some months ago, and instead use the Bord na Móna-owned Drehid landfill near Edenderry. Again, there is no intention to increase prices. Lastly, waste collection company Oxigen will be running Ballydonagh acidic waste facility for the next five years as the company won the contract to take over the council's service last December. That waste will be disposed of elsewhere. The company uses landfill sites in Cavan, Dundalk and Dublin.