This article is from page 8 of the 2006-01-17 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 8 JPG
EXPERTS promoting the development of a €115 million incinerator for Clare and the region are to be brought before Clare County Council’s environmental committee to justify the project.
Members of the council’s Special Policy Committee (SPC) for the Environment have heard that there are “great holes” in the rationale behind building an incinerator.
The SPC was instrumental in shaping council policy in relation to the draft regional waste management plan for Clare-Limerick-Kerry to 2011.
As a result of SPC discussions, the council stated that there is an inherent contradiction in the draft regional waste management plan proposing an incinerator while also promoting the reducing, reusing and recycling of waste.
The draft plan anticipates that the incinerator will treat over 40 per cent of Clare’s waste by 2013, with 45 per cent recycled and 14 per cent landfilled.
However, at the first SPC meeting of 2006, member Steve Symes said: “there are great holes in this plan.
“The incineration process will leave a residual toxic fly-ash. Where is that going to be disposed of?
“Also, the bottom ash makes up 30 per cent of what goes in. What will become of that, because there is no market for this ash?”
Cllr Brian Meaney commented: “the draft waste management plan should be based upon prevention and that does not feature as a priority.”
After the incinerator plan came under sustained questioning, SPC chairperson, Cllr Patricia McCarthy (Ind) proposed that the consultants behind the plan be invited to explain the rationale for an incinerator.
The new draft plan doesn’t identify a site for an incinerator, though a feasibility study for the provision of thermal treatment has stated that “putting in place such a facility for the Limerick/Clare/Kerry region can be best achieved through some form of publicprivate partnership (PPP) arrangement.”
The criteria for siting the incinerator include the need to minimise environmental impacts; have due regard to the proximity principle; minimise costs; and maximise acceptability of the project by the local community.
The study states: “if progress is not made in implementing thermal waste treatment in the region by 2009, the local authorities will take steps to ensure that such a facility is delivered according to the PPP model or another similar approach.”
The waste management plan anticipates that the incinerator will treat 150,000 to 200,000 tonnes of waste each year.