The Department met with Mogul of Ireland Limited on 24 May last concerning the company's proposed remediation plans for the tailings pond and other sites at Silvermines, County Tipperary. More detailed plans are expected shortly from the company, and these will set out provisional time frames for commencement of remediation works.
Mogul also met a sub-committee of Silvermines Environmental Action Group with responsibility for Gortmore tailings pond on 28 May 2004.
There is an emergency action plan operated by Mogul and the local authority to deal with dust blows and other problems which may occur at the tailings pond. The Department has not received any notification of occurrences of serious dust blows or escapes of polluted leachate at the site in recent years. The last recorded serious dust blow occurred in the mid-1980's.