Updated: 6pm
Donegal County Council is being urged to examine suitable sites for the disposal of Mica house materials.
As demolition and remedial works take place, and more are scheduled, an environmental issue is coming to the fore over where to dispose of the waste.
The matter has been raised at a special meeting of Donegal County Councillors today on the Mica crisis.
Cllr Albert Doherty, Vice-Chair of the Mica Redress Committee said the council has to make sure that licensed, environmentally sensitive locations are assigned for the disposal of construction waste.
Cllr Gary Doherty, Chair of the Environment and Climate Change SPC, said “we are facing into the grim reality of thousands of tonnes of waste that have to be disposed in the proper manner. At present we all have a lack of information on this. We need to know what is the council going to do to dispose of this waste and what is the plan.”
The Environment and Climate Change Strategic Policy Committee will discuss the matter next week and Cllr Doherty is proposing that the committee holds a special one-item meeting on Mica and the environmental impacts.
Update:
Michael McGarvey Director of Water & Environment with Donegal County Council responded to the matter to say there are options for the reuse of clean inert demolitions material. He told members that there is a strong case for large sites to be designated for the significant quantities that will result from the works. He said waste permits could also be granted to quarries where the material came from.
Mr McGarvey said other options could be explored to find use for the material as part of the circular economy.
The issue will discussed at a more in-depth level at the Environment and Climate Change SPC next Wednesday.
