As a part of Toxic Legacy, a large-scale cross-border investigation on toxic threats from old landfills all around Europe, The Journal has revealed that just 10 % of Ireland’s so-called “historic” landfills have been certified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), leaving more than 260 old waste-sites in limbo.
Many of these former dumps date from 1977-1997 and are now believed to pose serious threats to waterways, soil and surrounding ecosystems.
Following the publication of these findings, Irish Social Democrats Jennifer Whitmore has called for immediate government action, saying that leaving the majority of these sites unmanaged for over a decade reflects a fundamental failure to protect both the environment and public health.
Independent Ireland Leader Michael Collins TD has issued a criticism, stating that “EPA’s catastrophic failures on toxic waste and wastewater show an agency no longer fit for purpose... and turns a blind eye when it suits its agenda.”
The investigation, carried out with support of our Environmenal Investigative Journalism programme, highlights toxic exposure hazards that could yet worsen as flooding becomes more frequent, putting pressure on authorities to explain years of inaction.
