Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 160: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will clarify if batch testing is taking place at the point of entry of toxic waste into the Dublin City Council sewers at the Phoenix Park train station; the reason the effluent is transported to that location instead of being taken directly to the treatment centre at Ringsend, Dublin 4; when will Fingal County Council have the facilities to deal with its own toxic effluent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16151/10]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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As indicated in the reply to Questions 362 and 370 of 30 March 2010, the supervised discharge of leachate from Fingal County Council's licensed landfill at Balleally into the main foul sewer at the location in question is being carried out with the consent of Dublin City Council which is the local authority with responsibility for the sewer involved.

Section 40 of the Waste Management Act 1996 provides for the granting by the EPA of a waste licence for a landfill or other waste facility. The conditions applying to a waste licence and the enforcement of such conditions are matters for the EPA. I understand that the discharge of the leachate into the public sewer in question by Fingal County Council has been agreed with the EPA.

It is also my understanding that discussions have taken place between the two local authorities regarding the possibility of transferring the leachate directly by tanker to the Ringsend wastewater treatment plant and that agreement on this issue is expected to be secured very shortly.