The company that owns Galmoy Mines in North Kilkenny has moved to assure locals that there will not be any storing of sludge there.
A public meeting was organised by locals in Galmoy last week who had concerns over the possibility that sludge – which is a type of semi-solid slurry – might be stored on site at the former mines.
A planning application was lodged by AQS Solutions, who own the mines, in June to change the use of one of the tanks there to a sludge storage tank.
However, due to a technical error that application was rejected.
AQS didn’t attend the meeting last week but correspondence has since been sent to those who did from the company, who say that while they’re working on a new application there won’t be any element of storing sludge included.
On the back of the concerns raised, the county council also paid a visit to the mines last week and their report has shown no evidence that any sludge is being stored.
Meanwhile, a separate application to resume zinc mining there is still being processed by the local authority.
