Louth and Monaghan spend €1.6M on diesel sludge clean-up

Louth and Monaghan County Councils have spent over €1.6 million on cleaning up illegal diesel sludge since 2020. Louth spent €1.12 million, while Monaghan's costs reached nearly €500,000, with over 220 clean-up operations conducted. The average cost per clean-up operation was about €7,300. Louth's expenses nearly doubled from €188,000 in 2020 to €361,000 in 2023, including a significant incident costing €156,000 in one quarter. Donegal and Cavan councils reported no costs related to diesel laundering. Monaghan officials noted that the issue has persisted for about 25 years, creating environmental and safety concerns.