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SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, June 09, 2025

QUESTION NO. 27

QUESTION: Councillor F. Timmons

To ask the Chief Executive for a report regarding the City Edge Project. Report to include: ground contamination risks associated with old paper manufacturing factories, heavy manufacturing industrial sites that used large quantities of chemicals and what measures have been taken so far to identify sites with potential serious ground and soil contamination?

REPLY:

A Baseline Study for the City Edge area was carried out during 2020/2021(refer to link to summary report at Baseline Study Findings - The City Edge Project.  Full report can be provided if required).  One of the aspects considered was the potential for contaminated land and Section 22 landfills (historic/legacy landfills recorded on a register under Section 22 of the Waste Management Act) and the associated constraints on regeneration.  A desk-based review undertaken for the report indicates that there are 16 Licensed sites within the City Edge area and no Section 22 Landfills. 

The report sets out that several historical land uses within the area may have impacted the land locally including Inchicore Railway works (DCC area) and Gas Works also in Inchicore.  These are the only uses deemed to have a high risk of contamination and both are / were located within the DCC area of City Edge.  The report states that ‘current land uses are likely to have a low to moderate potential risk’ for contamination.  In order to quantitatively assess the contaminated land risk the report concludes that it ‘would be necessary to undertake site investigations in line with current guidance such as BS10175’.  The report continues ‘these assessments are likely to be required on a site-by-site basis which will ensure that the actual local conditions will be determined as the [area is regenerated] and the contaminated land risk can be managed specific to the proposed end use and local environmental setting’. 

With respect to City Edge, investigations for contamination will be undertaken by developers on a site-by-site basis as development proposals are submitted. The developer will be required to prepare Resource and Waste Management Plans (RWMP) in accordance with the EPA best practice guidelines. The EPA has published Guidance on the Management of Contaminated Land and Groundwater at EPA Licensed Sites.  This can be applied to sites to assess the risk of ground contamination and advise on suitable corrective actions. All relevant proposed developments will be referred to the appropriate SDCC Sections, the EPA and other relevant statutory stakeholders.