Clare County Council has been fined over odours at the Inagh Landfill.
The Council initially pleaded not guilty at Ennis Circuit Court but Judge Gerald Keyes told counsel for the local authority and the Environmental Protection Agency that he was extremely conscious of the cost of the case in which one statutory authority was taking an action against another, given the state of the country’s finances.
The Council later pleaded guilty to one charge relating to odours at the Inagh Landfill on August 22nd, 2007.
The court heard that the Inagh landfill has since closed due to economic reasons though it was well organised, while the Environmental Protection Agency recognised that no matter how well it was run, there would be still gas escapes.
Judge Keyes said he was very conscious of aggrieved Inagh residents and appreciated the anxiety and concern they have gone through" due to the odours, but he said it was a "one-off count and was not a continuing event over a long period of time."
The Environmental Protection Agency sought 23,000 euro in expenses and the Council agreed to pay an undisclosed ex gratia payment in response to the EPA not pursuing this claim.
