Unbearable smell continues to plague residents in Mayo town

Castlebar residents continue to be plagued by a foul smell emanating from a sewage treatment plant.

Households on the Turlough Road have been forced to endure the unpleasant odour for months. Some residents were forced to leave their homes as the stench became too unbearable. The smell reached unbearable levels before Christmas and continues to linger in the area.

Cllr Ger Deere highlighted the matter again at a meeting of Castlebar Municipal District. He was told the council have received no response from Uisce Eireann or Veolia, who have been allowed to run the facility by Uisce Eireann.

“It’s unbelievable that residents had to leave their houses and then to get no response from them,” said Cllr Ger Deere.

There are calls for an EPA investigation into the issue.

“It’s making people sick,” said Cllr Deere.

“It’s a health and safety issue,” added Cllr Donna Sheridan.

Cllr Blackie Gavin said he previously told planners that the plant should not have been constructed in such a built-up area. “It’s in a desperate place there.” 

He said when Mayo County Council was running the plant there were no similar issues.

“If this was a farmer who had a problem with a septic tank we would be all over them. We have thousands of people living around a facility that is causing people to get sick,” stated Cllr Deere.