Athy dumping cost council €6,000
Pile of waste cleaned up by council workers recently
KILDARE County Council is set to explore the feasibility of installing CCTV cameras in the Blackwood Bog area in Athy, following concerns over persistent illegal dumping, which saw recent cleanup costs in the region of €6,000.
The issue was raised by cllr Mark Leigh at the recent Athy Municipal District meeting, where he called for measures to curb continuous waste disposal in the environmentally sensitive area.
Cllr Leigh mentioned that people have been dumping trailers full of tyres, estimated in at around 100, which were later set on fire.
The bog has seen all kinds of dumping from household items such as mattresses, washing machines and other furniture, as well as basic household waste.
The Labour representative described larger dumped items, such as a burnt-down caravan.
The persistent dumping has been an issue for the ecological area for a number of years, and has been costing the council thousands in cleanup costs.
Recently, council staff did a cleanup of the area, which costed approximately €6,000.
Cllr Leigh explained the ecological significance of the area, for its “outstanding beauty” and “diverse flora and fauna”.
In a written response, a senior executive officer in the environment department, confirmed that the council will investigate potential CCTV options as requested.
“The council will investigate the possibility of CCTV in the Blackwood Bog area as requested, and would welcome an opportunity to discuss further with the councillor(s). It might be helpful to meet on site to consider the options".
