This article is from page 16 of the 2007-03-13 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 16 JPG
THE amount of waste landfilled at Ballyduff Beg last year was the low- est since the facility was opened in 2002.
Almost 34,000 tonnes of waste were landfilled last year, which is a significant reduction on almost 53,000 in 2005. Almost 44,000 tonnes were deposited there in 2004, and nearly 56,000 in 2003. During the first seven weeks of this year, almost 7,000 tonnes of waste were deposited there.
The annual report of the facility, presented to councillors yesterday, stated that the reduction last year was mainly due to a decrease in quanti- ties brought by one major collector.
The maximum licensed intake of 56,500 tonnes per annum was almost reached in 2003 and 2005.
The facility’s expenditure last year was €1.78 million for landfill, €223,000 for the recycling centre and €7,000 for composting. Pay- ments to suppliers of goods and serv- ices accounted for 38 per cent of the landfill operating costs; machinery was 33 per cent, with payroll 29 per Cone
The gate fees last year were €125 per tonne, for quantities up to 10,000 tonnes per annum and €120 per tonne, for quantities over that. These fees are reduced by €5 per tonne this year.
The income budget for the facility is €3,750,000 this year.
The report confirmed that off-site odours have been detected from time to time, as a result of inspections by the council and the HSE.
‘The main odour being reported 1s that of landfill gas, with some reports also of fresh waste odour. Landfill gas consists mainly of methane and carbon dioxide, which are green- house gases, but are odourless, but a small fraction of landfill gas is made up of volatile organic compounds, Some of which are odorous,” stated the report.
Two non-compliance notices, cov- ering four subjects, were received by the Environmental Protection Agency, in the year ending March 2007. Odour off-site and the felling of trees outside the dates specified in
the licence were referred to, 1n one of the notices. The council asserts the trees were felled in late February, to facilitate construction of Phase 3 of the facility, which got underway last August.
The report also pointed out that complaints were made about ma- chinery noise and surface water run- off, relating to Phase 3 construction.
According to the report, the prob- lems raised were discussed at the Community Liaison and Monitor Committee meetings.
“Odour management in particular has been a recurring subject. Com- plaints about site noise, early entry to site and late departure, and quality of surface water run-off, have been raised at this stage,” it stated.