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JOINT MEDIA STATEMENT
Kerdiffstown Landfill Remediation Project confirmed
Kildare County Council and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today welcome news from the Department of Environment, Community & Local Government of continued funding for the remediation of Kerdiffstown Landfill to protect the environment surrounding the site.
At an announcement made today in Kildare County Council Headquarters, Peter Carey, Chief Executive, Kildare County Council, stated that Kildare County Council will now be carrying out the project to remediate the landfill site. The site management controls established by the EPA in 2011 to limit and prevent pollution (including security, odour controls and leachate management) will shortly be transferred to Kildare County Council.
A significant proportion of the 2015 Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government landfill remediation budget of €8.5m will be allocated to support the active remediation process at Kerdiffstown Landfill in the coming weeks. The Department is aware that this remediation project is a complex, multi-annual project which will require significant investment over a period of 5 - 7 years. The detail of this project, the remediation process, including details of the timeframes and funding requirements, was communicated to Government by the Minister in September 2014. The project is likely to require competitive tendering for certain services and only when those costs are known can arrangements for specific funding requirements be put in place at Government level.
Commenting on the transfer of the site to Kildare County Council, Peter Carey, Chief Executive of Kildare County Council stated:
“Kildare County Council is fully committed to the remediation of Kerdiffstown Landfill. Confirmation of this funding budget by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government is a significant and positive step forward in the process. Kildare County Council has experience in remediating landfill sites and we have skilled staff with the expertise to manage all elements of this project. We also have the legislative powers and tools to effectively manage this remediation process.
Our elected members and local representatives have been briefed on the project and I would like to acknowledge the support of Kildare County Council’s elected representatives, particularly the Mayor and members of Naas Municipal District. We look forward to working with all local stakeholders throughout each stage of the process and achieving significant progress in remediating the site.”
Gerard O’Leary, Director of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement, said:
“We welcome Kildare County Council’s involvement and commitment to the remediation of Kerdiffstown Landfill. The Council brings the necessary experience in large civil engineering projects and familiarity with the challenges of landfill remediation that will ensure the success of the project.”
Kildare County Council will commence on-site works in approximately 18 months’ time, subject to the granting of licenses by An Bord Pleanála and the EPA. It is estimated that works may take five to seven years to complete with public consultation being a core process during this timeframe.
Community updates will continue to be issued as remedial works on the site take place. For further information, including Frequently Asked Questions, please visit www.kerdiffstowncleanup.ie.