Mayo bonfire site used as dumping ground

Up to three lorry loads of waste were removed from a bonfire site in north Mayo which became a dumping ground for household items including washing machines and fridges.

Environmental officers with Mayo County Council expressed disappointment that members of the public continue to dump 'dirty' waste on traditional bonfires, despite campaigns advising the public of the health risks and environmental damage which can be caused when they are burnt.

Ahead of yesterday's annual St John’s Night bonfires, a large number of items considered to be waste were removed from a site in Ballina, while a smaller number of items were also removed from bonfires following inspections on Achill Island and around Castlebar.

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A senior official in the Environment, Climate Change and Agriculture Section of Mayo County Council said that while the vast majority of community bonfires now consist only of clean wood, some continue to use the tradition to dispose of their unwanted waste.

“The Ballina bonfire was very bad and wasn't really a bonfire and more of a dumping ground for the last ten days. We had to do a big clean-up on Friday when people literally just came along and tossed stuff on the side of the road and in some cases on the footpath.

“We are talking about everything you could imagine which should not be in a fire from electrical items like washing machines, carpets, furniture to bags of rubbish. Anything you need to get rid of was flung in.

“It is not like everyone in Ballina is doing it but there is a cohort who are doing it. We got two or three truck loads out of there on Friday and got another truck load this morning [Monday]. It is definitely the worst one we have come across in a long while when you consider we have a civic amenity site in Ballina on their doorstep which will take all this stuff for a reasonable price,” the official told The Mayo News.

Resources

The official added that they don't have the resources to be able to take dirty waste out of all bonfires but she acknowledged the work of some local people who policed their bonfires to stop certain items from being added to them.

However, the official said that despite items like couches and carpets not being added as frequently as in the past, items like chipboard and mdf board should not be added.

“There is still a lack of understanding that chipboard is not the same as clean wood and there is still a lot of that material in bonfires. In one way we are pleased with the progress that's been made but in another way we would like to continue the education of chipboard and any kind of treated timber if not clean timber and essentially you are burning plastic.

“In fairness a lot of the bonfires are very clean and we won't be removing them because we appreciate the tradition. Coming in the afternoon and dumping your old couch is in no way a community event and a tradition. You are just using it for free waste disposal and have no interest in looking at the bonfire.

“It would be a lot better if the local communities policed them because the local authority simply isn't able to and we would like to get to a place where we wouldn't have to. It would be nice for the bonfires to go back to the way they used to be and more like the original tradition before they were seen as free waste disposal,” the official added.