In August 2026 SENT wrote to the HSE and the National Environmental Health Service with copies to the following:
CEO of Meath Co. Council; all Meath County Councillors; all Meath TDs; the Minister for health and the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment.
“This letter comes from the group SENT (Saving the Environment of Navan Townlands) who represent residents from various communities who live in close proximity to Randalstown Tailings Facility. This is the facility which serves Boliden Tara Mines in storing the millions of tonnes of toxic waste which result from the mining of Zinc and Lead under a number of townlands surrounding Navan town.
We have recently appealed against the Planning Permission being granted by Meath Co. Council to BTM for TRIDEX tunneling to explore feasibility for developing Tara Deep. We are also awaiting a planning application for an additional tailings facility the opposite side of the greenway to where the current tailings waste sits. Our many concerns include health issues affecting the population living close to the Tailings Facility. This includes possible water contamination – through discharge from the mine or seepage from the tailings facility; air pollution from toxic dust blowing from the tailings onto nearby farmland and residential homes as well as emissions; the possibility, or inevitability, of a breach or catastrophic failure of the tailings facility, which require upkeep in perpetuity. In this context we read with interest that MCC Planning Dept requested your observations on this Planning Application Ref 5811, that you submitted your document on 27/03/2026 and that they acknowledged your observations on 30/03/2026.
We also noted a separate Standard Planning Permission Report on behalf of the National Health and Environmental Service Ref 5637 received at MCC 02/04/2026 and acknowledged by MCC on 07/04/2026.
We understand that the NEHS is an agency within the HSE whose brief is
“to protect Public Health by finding and stopping Environmental risk that can cause illness”
We note that this brief does not include making comments on Planning Permission applications.
Given all of the above, we are distressed that the HSE /NEHS presents 'observations' and that these observations primarily consist of extracts from the Planning Application from BTM ref 2561391. No reference whatsoever in these reports addresses the significant health concerns of the local people. These extracts quote studies done “on behalf of the Applicant”.
We see no evidence that the observations are based on independent enquiry or investigation of any kind which might offer results in the form ofdetailed, substantive, constructive points relating to impacts on the health of the populations of Navan and it's surrounding townlands..
As a residents group we are genuinely frightened of the negative outcomes from a Tailings failure on the short and longterm health of our community. This year to date, there have been 3 existing Tailings dams failures, and in 2025 there were 10 such events, (See Chronology of Tailings Failures https://www.wise-uranium.org/mdaf.html)
We draw your attention to the incident in Brumadinho, Brazil 2019 where 272 people were killed and the surrounding area was devastated.: https://www.wise-uranium.org/mdafbr.html
And in 1998 there was a major failure of a `Boliden owned Tailings dam at Les Frailes, Spain in 1998: https://www.wise-uranium.org/mdaflf.html
We further draw your attention to the Report 2017 for BTM by AMEC Foster Wheeler. This report identifies specific danger points around the perimeter of the Tailings dam which are High Risk.:
To the best of our knowledge the Tailings dam contains multiple toxic chemicals. No evidence has come to our attention with regard to testing by BTM or any Government agencies on the lands and rivers adjacent to the “current” Tailings dam. We urgently request that the HSE identify and produce a comprehensive list of these chemicals and that this information be made publicly available.
With regard to the health and Safety of local residents, we are informed by BTM (Meeting with SENT Representatives 22.05.2025 ) that there is an Emergency Plan is in place to protect residents in the event of an incident. BTM claims that this Emergency Plan would involve the Principal Response Agencies (Meath County Council, Fire Service Division, Health Service Executive and An Garda Siochana) Despite numerous requests by our group no evidence of such a plan has been forwarded to us. In fact the focus of the plan seems to be entirely on Health and Safety within the internal workings of the mining plant with no mention of the public safety. .
Does the HSE/NEHS concur that they are part of an “Emergency Task Force”?, If so -
- has the task force ever conducted drills or exercises with the emphasis on public safety?
- What, if any engagements were had with residents adjacent to the current Tailings dam?
- what were the findings of such drills or exercises with a focus on public safety?
- where does the command of the Task Force lie?
- what are the formal criteria for activating the Emergency Task Force?
We in SENT are deeply concerned that the HSE/NEHS are not acting to protect the health and safety of the large population of Navan and it's hinterlands by failing to provide independent appraisals of the risks attached to mining in the area. We also point out that we can find no evidence of these bodies having been actively and appropriately engaged in relation to public health issues as the Tara Mines evolved from the 1970s up until current BTM developments.
We look forward to your speedy response to our concerns”
SENT