Residents opposed to the location of a landfill near Inagh, Co Clare mounted a picket yesterday at the site entrance to keep out officials acting on behalf of Clare County Council.
Last November, the forested site of Ballyduff Beg, two km north of Inagh, was considered the most suitable location for the proposed dump after a 17-month selection process that examined 84 sites in the county.
In December, Cork-based consultants Fehily, Timoney and Co was appointed to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement on the proposed site. This began in January.
But yesterday morning, gardai were called to the site entrance as the Inagh Anti-Landfill Group prevented workmen and their machinery gaining access to the site to prepare the EIS.
Ms Perry Long, for the group, said yesterday: "We were present at the site entrance since 6 a.m. and we will continue to keep our presence at the site until the council pull out. The gardai went away when they saw we were not causing any trouble.
"Every strand of the parish was represented here today: farmers, businessmen, employees and housewives. We feel we've been walked upon in all of this."
A council spokesperson said last night it was seeking legal advice on how to proceed given the residents' actions. The spokesperson said the machinery had been on site to conduct the EIS and that relations with local residents have been good up to now.
He said the EIS process was fully open and groups could make submissions on the statement when it was completed "in a few months' time".
Ms Perry Long said the group would abide by any court injunction that the council might seek in removing the residents from the site entrance.
She said: "From the start, we have said that we will remain within the law. We are seeking our own advice, not just on preventing the council gaining access, but on the council's site selection process, which we feel was very unfair."