Cllr Keith Martin's Blog
Letter to the editor
Posted: 03 Jul 2008 09:10 AM CDT
Dear Editor,

Mayo County Council propose to charge us all for the privilege of recycling at Derrinumera and Rathroeen and reverse their policy of allow recyclers free use of the two facilities.

How does this tie in the accepted local and national principle that the "polluter pays"?

The Polluter Pays Principle is a principle in environmental law where the polluting party pays for the damage done to the natural environment. Since 1996 this has been enshrined in our waste laws.

Currently Mayo County Council charges €5 a bag and €155 per tonne of waste received at the centres. Last year Derrinumera alone received 20,000 tonnes at €150 per tonne.

Mayo County Council also received funding totalling €128, 880 to support the operating costs of recycling facilities in November 2007. This funding was from the Environment Fund, which was established with the revenues obtained from the plastic bag levy introduced in March 2002 and the landfill levy introduced in July 2002.

Why is Mayo County Council not raising its waste fill charges to meet and running costs? Even a small increase would raise a huge amount of money.

Why is Mayo County Council setting out to generate revenue from recyclers?

If Mayo County Council proceeds with these charges they will only lead to an increase in fly tipping and backyard burning.

The cost of living is now sky high and we have councillors and officials introducing another stealth tax on hard-pressed families. I think recycling should be free and dumping should pay for the costs of both dumping and recycling.

I would appeal to your readers and especially the thousands of recyclers who use Derrinumera and Rathroeen amenity centres to contact their local councillor and Mayo County Council's, Director of Service, Mr Seamus Granaghan to protest at this move to punish recyclers.

Yours sincerely

Cllr Keith Martin
33 Pairc na Coille
Westport
Co. Mayo

086 0691182
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