Animal carcasses dumped in forest
Cavan County Council is set to crack down hard on illegal dumpers and deploy a range of strategies to deter and detect the culprits including using covert CCTV cameras at blackspots. The warning comes after the local authority received over a hundred complaints so far this year - the most recent of which includes the dumping of a number of animal carcasses in various states of decay near Milltown.
The latest forestry area to be targeted by illegal, fly-by-night dumpers is in the heart of the Milltown/Killeshandra/Kildallan area and only a few miles from Drumlane Abbey.
Dead lambs, sheep and calves and large household items such as settees, mattresses and tyres, are among the rubbish tipped into Feugh forest. There is also a stream running in close proximity to the site with concerns for water contamination.
Last Friday, The Anglo-Celt visited the Drumullagh/Listernan Lane area, which is about four miles from Milltown, to photograph the scene.
The incident has been reported to Cavan County Council's veterinary officer who is due to "investigate the site, determine the appropriate body to deal with the situation and take action as necessary".
Bogus waste collectors
Following the latest spate of illegal dumping, the environmental awareness officer with Cavan County Council, Conor Craven, has issued a stern warning to “bogus waste collectors” and those who engage their services.
“We would warn these people that we are aware of their activity and we are currently carrying out a multi-agency investigation in relation to that matter,” he told the Celt.
Last year, Cavan County Council issued 403 litter fines, which was a substantial increase on previous years. Approximately 650 litter-related complaints were received by the local authority in 2017.
As of Friday last, March 16, the local authority had received 102 litter/waste complaints, which the litter wardens and waste enforcement officers are investigating.
* See pages 6 & 7 of this week's Anglo-Celt in shops now for a detailed report