A road in Co. Wicklow had to be closed to the public for several hours today (Tuesday, May 28) due to illegal dumping in the area.
Locals were angered to discover the dumping on Coillte lands at Stump of the Castle, Rathdrum yesterday morning.
The incident near the Avondale Forest walkway was reported to Wicklow County Council which believes the dumping is likely to have taken place over the weekend.
Illegal dumping
The council told Agriland that the material dumped contained construction and demolition waste, including cables, roof tiles, insulation, soil, PVC guttering cut offs, windows and doors, slates and roof tiles.
Due to the extent of the dumping, the Moneystown to Rathdrum road had to be temporarily closed this morning to allow council staff to remove the material.
A spokesperson for Wicklow County Council said that investigations into the matter are ongoing at this time.
“Persons with any information regarding the incident should contact the waste management section of Wicklow County Council at 0404 20127.
“The dumping of such material is a criminal offence and if found guilty, penalties of up to €5,000 and up to 12 months imprisonment on summary conviction can be imposed,” they added.
Local Fianna Fáil councillor Pat Kennedy expressed his frustration at the incident and appealed for anyone with information to come forward.
“It is disgusting to see the volume of rubbish that has been dumped in Stump of the Castle,” he said.
“I want to thank the members of the community who contacted me about this. And Wicklow County Council for working with me to move so fast to get this road closure in place and the rubbish removed,” the councillor added.