An investigation is under way after 60 five-gallon drums of oil were illegally dumped near a river in Co Meath.
All of the dumped oil drums were full and found leaking into a ditch of water near the Delvin River in Gormanston.
The discovery was made after Meath County Council received a report about the illegal dumping.
An ongoing operation is being carried by the council to remove the drums and the oil from the ditch of water, and to excavate the site to assess the damage.
This clean-up operation could take up to 24 hours to be completed.
However, at this early stage, Meath County Council has said it is expected that no environmental damage will be caused to the soil or to the Delvin River.
A road closure has been put in place near the Delvin Road Bridge to facilitate the clean-up operation.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the council said: "Illegal dumping of such material can be detrimental to local flora and fauna, and harmful to local communities.
"It can also take time and resources away from Meath County Council staff who specialise in ecological matters and would otherwise be continuing to focus on activities and projects to conserve and improve the environment in the county.
"An investigation into the illegal dumping is ongoing by the Environment Department in Meath County Council.
"Any members of the public who observed any suspicious activity in the Gormanston area from Friday, February 28 to Monday March 3, are asked to email environment@meathcoco.ie," the spokesperson added.
Community Litter Warden with Meath County Council Alan Nolan said it is the worst case of illegal dumping that he has seen in his 12 years in the role.
"I could hardly believe my eyes, there were 60 five-gallon drums of oil dumped into the drain and leaking into the ditch, some still full and others burst open and leaking.
"We currently have a plan in place with the relevant authorised waste specialists to have the oil and drums removed as soon as possible and then assess the ground to determine the amount of contaminated soil that will have to be removed by said specialists.
"If anyone noticed anything suspicious in that area on Friday night or early Saturday morning, please make contact with the Environment Department in Meath County Council.
"It will cost a lot of money to have this site brought back to where it was before this incident that could have been used in other areas of the county for different projects," he added.
