A former municipal dump containing an estimated 200,000 tonnes of rubbish is collapsing into the sea near Bray in Co Wicklow.
The dump, which was for decades the official dump of Bray town, was closed in the late 1980s and sealed with topsoil.
However, the site just north of Bray harbour is subject to coastal erosion and in recent years the clay cliffs have collapsed, leaving the rubbish exposed and falling into the sea. Leachate from the dump is also seeping into the water.
Based on its size and the number of years it was in operation, the environmental group Coastwatch estimated that the dump could contain at least 200,000 tonnes of waste. This would make it as big as the larger illegal dumps unearthed by Wicklow County Council in recent years. The cost of remediation of an estimated 200,000 tonne dump at Whitestown in west Wicklow has been put at about €7 million.
According to Coastwatch spokeswoman Karin Dubsky there is also evidence of illegal dumping in the area since the dump was officially closed. The organisation, which carries out an annual assessment of coastal conditions in Ireland, said the Bray site represents "some of the worst conditions we have seen". The dump is expected to feature in the 2005 report, due out next June.
Bray Town Council has rezoned the land in the current draft of its development plan, which is due to be published next month. An ambitious scheme is proposed, including the development of a marina to stem the erosion, and the possible development of apartments, a hotel and marine-related businesses.
The difficulty for the town council is that some of the site lies in south Co Dublin and comes under the authority of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. Any master plan for development or remedial schemes would have to gain the co-operation of that council.
Another difficulty, according to local resident and councillor Dr John McManus, is that the rezoning is just the start of a long process. While a "general upgrade" of the whole site is planned, it could be many years before a marina is built.
The project is also likely to face competition from the neighbouring town of Greystones, where Wicklow County Council is planning to develop a marina around the old harbour and north beach to stem erosion.
"It is a cause of concern" Dr McManus told The Irish Times. "It dates from a time when Bray's sewage too just ran into the sea. It closed about 15 years ago but before that it was the municipal dump for Bray."
Dr McManus said he did not know if central government, which grant-aids treatment plants, could be prevailed on to assist in the cost of a clean-up.
"It is very bad for Bray. You can see this coming in on the Dart and the impression it gives is very poor," Dr McManus said.
