Cllr Keith Martin says he believes proposals by Mayo County Council to introduce recycling charges Derrinumera and Rathroeen amenity centres are in breach of EU law by contravening the legal principle that the "polluter pays".
The Polluter Pays Principle is a principle in environmental law where the polluting party pays for the damage done to the natural environment.
Cllr Martin says "The Polluter Pays is a principle of environmental law, which was ratified in the Maastricht Treaty and the Polluter Pays principle was implemented into Irish law by the Waste Management Act 1996."
Recently Mayo County Council unveiled the proposals proposed charges during a meeting of the environmental policy and emergency services strategic policy committee of Mayo County Council. The Chairperson of the environment strategic policy committee is Westport's Cllr Margaret Adams.
The charges proposed are €2 per car and €5 per van but currently, members of the public using Rathroeen and Derrinumera civic sites are only charged for bags of refuse going to landfill.
According to Cllr Martin ""Mayo County Council already charges private individuals and waste contractors for dumping waste at these centres and it is from these charges that the cost of these centres should be met not by squeezing those recyclers who use Derrinumera and Rathroeen amenity centres.
"The accepted principle in this area, locally and nationally, is that the polluter pays; not the recycler. I believe that while Mayo County Council have a legal right under this principle to impose charges for waste they do not have any right to charge recyclers for recycling.
"The polluter should pay; the recycler should not, it's a simple as that. The cost of living is now sky high and we have councillors and officials introducing another stealth tax on hard-pressed families. It's a disgrace!"
The Polluter Pays Principle is a principle in environmental law where the polluting party pays for the damage done to the natural environment.
Cllr Martin says "The Polluter Pays is a principle of environmental law, which was ratified in the Maastricht Treaty and the Polluter Pays principle was implemented into Irish law by the Waste Management Act 1996."
Recently Mayo County Council unveiled the proposals proposed charges during a meeting of the environmental policy and emergency services strategic policy committee of Mayo County Council. The Chairperson of the environment strategic policy committee is Westport's Cllr Margaret Adams.
The charges proposed are €2 per car and €5 per van but currently, members of the public using Rathroeen and Derrinumera civic sites are only charged for bags of refuse going to landfill.
According to Cllr Martin ""Mayo County Council already charges private individuals and waste contractors for dumping waste at these centres and it is from these charges that the cost of these centres should be met not by squeezing those recyclers who use Derrinumera and Rathroeen amenity centres.
"The accepted principle in this area, locally and nationally, is that the polluter pays; not the recycler. I believe that while Mayo County Council have a legal right under this principle to impose charges for waste they do not have any right to charge recyclers for recycling.
"The polluter should pay; the recycler should not, it's a simple as that. The cost of living is now sky high and we have councillors and officials introducing another stealth tax on hard-pressed families. It's a disgrace!"
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