Syringes found in Port Tunnel soil

Work on the Alfie Byrne Road side of the Port Tunnel has been halted due to complaints from residents that soil with hazardous waste is being placed in Fairview Park.

According to Dublin City Council (DCC) 35 syringes have been found in the soil they are putting back into the public park following its removal some years ago to allow tunnelling work.

In 2001/2002 DCC excavated the soil from the site of the former municipal dump near Alfie Byrne Road as part of the port tunnel works. According to the council it uncovered 16.5 tonnes of hospital waste, which it said would be removed to Belgium.

However, residents say that they found the syringes and other hospital and medical waste in recent weeks through their own searches of the soil and are concerned that there may be more hazardous material present.

They have asked the council to halt works at the park until they get a report from an independent assessor. At the time of going to print DCC had agreed to postpone the works until 12 July but have not given a commitment to hold off until the report is completed. Residents say they will picket the site and apply for an injunction if works are not halted until they receive the independent report.

DCC say that no other hospital waste has been found in the soil and it is "possible" that the syringes came from top soil they had taken from Fairview Park, where they regularly find syringes used by drug addicts.

They say the current soil was tested in March 2006 and given the all clear by AWN Consulting.

The results were also submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They are re-checking the soil twice before it goes into Fairview Park. They stress there is no risk to human health from the material.

However, the East Wall Residents Association is not convinced. "The way we have been treated by DCC makes us suspicious. It is very hard to trust them," said chairperson, Joe Mooney.

The Port Tunnel is due to open in late September at more than three times the cost of the original 1999 estimate and almost three years behind schedule. The original cost of the tunnel was €220m, but it now looks like it will cost in excess of €750m and possibly closer to €1bn.

Emma Browne and Frank Connolly