“If it is suspected that your waste was burned on a bonfire you will be prosecuted under the Waste Act.”
WHILE the weather cannot be depended on to radiate the seasonal sun and warmth of summer, the arrival of May Eve on Monday next, April 30 signifies the official commencement of the summer months ahead. Happy as the thought of long days and short nights make us, a timely warning comes from City Hall’s executive officer in the environment department, Paul Foley to “put an end to the burning of waste in bonfires.”
Calling for the co-operation of the local communities, he said that while the city council has no wish to put an end to the tradition of celebrating mid summer, the aim is to keep the bonfires free of waste and other toxic material.
“If you are a householder, this is a reminder not to give items of bulk waste or household waste to young people collecting for bonfires for May Eve
“Please ensure that your bin is secure and remember that burning waste such as mattresses, three piece suites, household waste etc produces toxic fumes that may have long-term health implications – this is because most of these items are now partly made up of chemicals, plastics and solvents.
“The burning of such items at low temperatures is bad for the environment.”
Pointing out that the burning of waste is also against the law and could lead to a prosecution, Mr Foley said that people who store waste for a bonfire may be visited and required to produce receipts to prove that their waste was disposed of correctly and not burned on the local green.
“If it is suspected that your waste was burned on a bonfire you will be prosecuted under the Waste Act.
“If you wish to get rid of bulk waste please use a permitted waste collector who will come directly to your home to remove bulky waste items on an appointment basis or hire a skip from a permitted waste collector or bring directly to a licensed landfill or waste transfer station.
“Make sure that the waste collector you hire has a waste collection permit, take note of the time, date and the licence number of the vehicle and always get a receipt.”
May Eve is still celebrated in Limerick city but unfortunately many celebrations happen in a way which pollute the local environment and destroy greens and open spaces.
Pointing out that May Eve Bonfire is often used to get rid of waste in the community, City Hall’s Environment Department says:
“This is not the work of local youths lighting a bonfire for May Eve fun – this is an organised collection of tyres, mattresses, garden furniture and anything else they can lay their hands on to burn waste and create air pollution and damage the local green and the city council has to pay the price of cleaning up after the bonfire, disposing of leftover waste and chunks of metal and reseeding green areas.
