BALLYDEHOB residents have raised concerns about end of life vehicles leaking waste and contaminating the ground at Ardura More, as well as the adjoining Leamawaddra River.

A letter of complaint was, this week, submitted to Cork County Council’s environment department by residents who want an end to the unauthorised dumping on privately owned land.

The letter submitted by Ayelet Lalor pointed out that machinery and vehicles have been dumped on land adjoining the public road for more than 10 years.

The letter complains about ‘the operation of an illegal scrap metal business on the best farming land in the area,’ much to the discomfiture of neighbours and the local community.

Despite the landowner being prosecuted, and made clean-up the site, the situation is now worse than ever.

She said the Environment Protection Agency was made aware of the situation, but today there are ‘cars, lorries, machinery parts and scrap metal dumped on the Ardura More public crossroads, in fields alongside the public road to Rossard, and down as far as the Leamawaddra River, where any poisons leaking from the vehicles are draining into the water.’

‘This isn’t only an environmental issue, it’s also a health and safety one,’ according to Ayelet Lalor, who said waste, such as rusted metal spokes, and scrap, could cause an injury to people or livestock.

Aside from the danger it presents by leaking into the ground and the nearby river, she said the dump is ‘an eyesore that is ruining the landscape.’

‘How can the council think that it’s ok to let the environmental pollution and degradation of the landscape continue for this length of time?’ she asked.

‘All it takes is sending a clean-up team to take it all away and send the landowner the bill.’

A spokesperson for Cork County Council confirmed there was no investigation under way but added that  ‘Council staff will carry out a site visit to assess the matter further.’