Children have reportedly been handling nitrous oxide canisters in this Kildare MD
Kildare County Council previously admitted that it has no suitable facilities to store and dispose of these canisters
There have been reports of children handling nitrous oxide (also known as ‘laughing gas’) canisters in one Municipal District (MD) in County Kildare.
Fianna Fáil David Trost, who is also the Mayor of the Celbridge-Leixlip MD, made the comments at the latest MD meeting on Friday, July 17 last.
Near the conclusion of the meeting, Mayor Trost submitted the following question to Kildare County Council (KCC): “Can KCC clarify what is the process for the safe disposal of nitrous oxide canisters, which are often dumped in green public areas and around bins in the MD and picked up by children and sometimes brought home?”
In response, KCC told Mayor Trost via the report it presented at the meeting: “The safe disposal of potentially dangerous nitrous oxide canisters has in recent years become a major issue for the recycling and waste management industry.
“The gas is sold legally for medical, industrial and commercial purposes, and is easily obtained online.”
KCC continued: ““Revenue has the power to seize canisters of the gas where officers believe they are intended for illicit purposes.
“KCC has no facilities to store and dispose of these canisters, nor are they accepted by locally based waste collection operators for health and safety reasons; due to the physical nature of the canister, it is difficult to ascertain if the product is empty or full.”
EXPLOSION FEARS
Moreover, KCC noted that while an empty canister is widely recyclable, if gas remains in the container, it may explode if crushed, and therefore it cannot be processed through regular recycling facilities.
KCC concluded its report by claiming that the issue of disposal of these canisters ‘is not unique to Kildare’, and is instead ‘a national issue that requires addressing at a nationwide level.’
Mayor Trost is the latest councillor to call out the issues caused by the presence of dumped nitrous oxide canisters and their disposal.
Back in May, Social Democrats Cllr Chris Pender and Fine Gael Cllr Peggy O’Dwyer, both of the Kildare-Newbridge MD, criticised the presence of dumped nitrous oxide canisters in The Curragh.
And just under one year ago, the dilemma surrounding these types of canisters was raised at a full KCC meeting.
During this meeting, KCC admitted that it has no means of disposing of these canisters.
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