June meeting 2012

Chairperson

• Michael Hehir, Local Resident

Committee members

• Dominic Keating, Inagh Development Ltd.
• John Longe, Local Resident
• John O'Loughlin, Local Resident
• Perry Long, Local Resident
• Sheila Mc Tigue, Mike Mc Tigue Community Centre
• Tom Long, Local Resident

Council officials

• Paul Moroney
• Maeve Ryan
• Frances Mc Namara

Absent

• Alan Foudy, Cloonanaha (Apologies)
• Brian Fitzgerald, Local Resident
• Katie Lewis, Inagh N.S.
• Martin Queally, Local Resident (Apologies)
• Patrick O'Halloran, Local Resident
• James Keane, Clare County Council (Apologies)
• Cllrs Joe Arkins, Martin Conway, Michael Hillery, Richard Nagle & Michael Kelly, Bill Slattery Clare County Council.

The Chairperson opened the meeting by giving the apologies of Martin Queally who was unable to attend the meeting as he was in hospital. He noted that this was Mr Queally's third consecutive meeting that he had missed however the circumstances were unavoidable in this instance. The Chairperson wished Martin Queally a speedy recovery. He also gave the apologies of Alan Foudy who was unable to attend the meeting.

Main points

Minutes of meeting held on the 7th March 2012

• Proposed by Dominic Keating
• Seconded by Sheila McTigue

Matters arising from minutes

Perry Long asked if the cell was fully covered and sealed. Paul Moroney replied that the main operation to put clay on the cell hadn't started yet but was due to start at the end of the week. The delay was due to a staff resource issue within Clare County Council as some staff working at the landfill had been redeployed. Works are also dependent on weather conditions. Maeve Ryan added that preparations had commenced on the excavation works which will speed up the process.

Odour management

Perry Long noted that there had been a waste odour on three Saturday afternoons in May. Maeve Ryan replied that no offsite odours had been detected by the site odour patrol since early January 2012 and that the site patrol is still carried out by staff from the environment section in Ennis, accompanied by HSE staff once a fortnight. She said that odours were only very occasionally detected within the site.  Maeve Ryan said that the container for the waste is emptied on Tuesday and Friday and is completely sealed at the end of each workday, including on Saturday afternoons before the facility closes for the weekend. No waste odours are escaping from the sealed container and waste is never left exposed within the site. Paul Moroney said that this is similar to the procedure in place in Lisdeen Recycling Centre and that there are no odour issues in Lisdeen. John Longe said that this wife and family had also got odours from the facility in early May while Michael Hehir remarked that he did not get any odours recently.

Perry Long asked if there was a general decrease in recycling rates at the facility since the landfill closed down. Paul Moroney replied that there had not been a notable decrease, but in general recycling rates were down by 20% but that this was in line with the downturn in the economy. The situation will be reviewed over the summer months.

Perry Long asked if the Bird Control Company was still in place. Paul Moroney advised that it was. Paul Moroney stated that Clare County Council would not be seeking any changes to the terms of the existing licence until the Closure, Restoration and Aftercare Management Plan (CRAMP) is completed.

Correspondence

Perry Long queried the correspondence relating to the irregularity with the ponds and the problem with the PLC to which Maeve Ryan replied. Reference was also made to the correspondence relating to the fire which had occurred at the facility since the last meeting.

Any other business

Paul Moroney advised that the recommendation from the Evaluation Panel evaluating on Tranche 4 of the Community Fund was with the Executive of Clare County Council at present. Perry Long said that the recommendations should be discussed at the CLMC Meeting before going before Ennistymon Electoral Area or Clare County Council's elected members. Paul Moroney said that he would check the procedures in place previously.

Date for next meeting

The date for the next meeting is the 5th September 2012 at 7:00 p.m. The meeting concluded at 7:25 p.m.