Nenagh councillors told clearing contaminated waste site should be completed this year

The clean-up of the former Shannon Vermicomposting site at Coolross, Rathcabbin, has reached the “final furlong”, Cllr O’Meara said after a report on the project was given to councillors at the January meeting of Nenagh Municipal District Council.

The saga has been ongoing for more than 20 years at the doomed composting plant which received a licence from Tipperary County Council in 2002.

Councillors were told by environment officer Michael Moroney that 88% of the waste material had now been moved to the former Tipperary County Council landfill site at Ballaghveny near Ballymackey and that is was hoped the remainder would be removed from the Rathcabbin site by the middle of this year.

The clean-up began in late 2021 with waste being brought to landfill where it is being mixed with contaminated soil, stone and wood ash.

Cllr O’Meara pointed out that roads around Coolross would now need to be included on the Council’s roads programme due to the damage caused by heavy trucks.

Senior roads engineer Barry Murphy assured him that the work would be done.