Groundwater contamination fears at mine tailings pond

Residents living in the vicinity of the Tara Mines tailings pond at Randalstown and Sillogue outside Navan have expressed their fears of groundwater contamination and the danger of the dam bursting.

Save the Environment of Navan Townlands (SENT) held a series of meeting in advance of the local elections about the tailings pond.

They held a zoom meeting with local councillors and area representatives at which they sought commitments from them to hold Boliden Tara Mines to account and at a public meeting with the local community, they outlined their fears.

“We want to highlight the ever-present dangers for communities living next to stored toxic waste and we oppose the construction of a second tailings dam in Sillogue/ Simonstown. SENT is working for clear information, transparency and accountability from Boliden/Tara Mines, Meath Co Council and our elected representatives,” said spokesperson, Mairead Heaney.

She points out the tailings facility dates back to 1970s and has been extended upwards and outwards six times, causing a much used road to Navan to be closed, families to be relocated, covering of farmland and St Ann’s Church.

“Boliden Tara Mines are in the process of securing permission to build a buttress around the dam, further pointing to the danger of a burst in the embankment.”

She said that despite promises in 2017 that there would be no further tailings facility in the area, Boliden Tara Mines has purchased land in the townland of Sillogue, believed to be for the purpose of building a second tailings facility.

SENT has outlined the fears of people living near the tailings pond, pointing out that due to lack of lining in the original layer of the dam, there are serious concerns regarding seepage into groundwater and drinking water supply and there are concerns about high levels of serious illnesses in townlands surrounding the dam.

They fear the possibility of the dam bursting and question if there is any reliable provision of a clean-up/ compensation fund being provided by Boliden Tara Mines.

They claim the dam has damaged the local environment, causing loss of hedgerows, grasslands and habitats of birds, plants and other species and say studies have shown that contamination will persist for 1,000 years and more and the dam will never be rehabilitated for farming.

At the meeting with local election candidates, SENT sought a commitment for greater transparency and accountability and the re-establishing of the liaison committee with Boliden and Meath Co Council and SENT.

They urged local representatives to advocate for a comprehensive information campaign on the adverse effects of tailings dams in rural communities and pressure Boliden to explore safer waste disposal methods as well as for the support of the candidates in opposing the construction of a second tailings facility in Sillogue/Simonstown as Boliden moves forward with their Tara Deep project.

They urged the candidates to highlight the need to protect the environment and to support research on the impact of tailings dams on the health and well-being of the local community.

A spokesperson for Boliden Tara Mines said: “Tara Mines holds itself to the highest standards when it comes to respect for the environment in which we operate. Our operation is licensed by the Government and the EPA, and these licenses have very strict environmental criteria attached, with which we are in full compliance. Tara Mines has a longstanding policy of engagement with local community groups which will remain in place.”