Meath County Council has confirmed that it sent municipal sludge for processing and composting to a company it later served with planning enforcement notices.
The council sent 4,500 tonnes of dewatered sludge cake from one of its wastewater treatment plants to Organic Gold Marketing Ltd in Wilkinstown between 2001 and May 2004. A spokeswoman for the council said it became aware that there might have been problems in February 2004. Two enforcement notices were served in March 2004.
The notices followed onsite inspections by council staff and related to "unauthorised development, including construction of concrete area, wall, intensification of operations and capacity of composting on site".
She added: "These issues have been regularised by way of a planning application, most recently granted by Meath County Council." A spokesman for the Wilkinstown Environment Concern group yesterday said it had appealed the permission to An Bord Pleanála.
The company has applied to the Environmental Protection Agency for a permit for the activities covered by the recent planning permission.
A spokesman for the company yesterday said a "technical hitch" led to the notices being served and the permission applied for was for retention.The company said the technologies it hoped to use would set a new standard in waste management in Ireland.