Why did the Inspector recommend refusal?            

1 Inadequate EIS
The EIS (Environment Impact Statement) is inadequate and fails to comply with the mandatory requirements.

2-3 Contrary to National Policy
The development is contrary to the National Hazardous Waste Management Plan:

• With waste prevention as the top priority and first step in the Plan, it is premature and would tend to inhibit achievement of waste prevention targets.
• Its scale is considerably in excess of that envisaged for thermal treatment in the Plan.
• There is no concurrent or prior provision for landfill of hazardous waste generated by the incinerator, as envisaged in the Plan.

4-8 Contrary to County Policy
The Cork Waste Management Plan:

• makes no provision for thermal treatment of either hazardous or non-hazardous waste.

The Cork County Development Plan 2003:

• precludes contract incineration anywhere in the county
• specifies the proposed site as suitable only for large, stand-alone industry and advocates Ringaskiddy as a location for port-related use
• aims to preserve the views from scenic routes in Monkstown and Cobh.

9-11 Site unsuitable

• The site’s topography, climatic conditions, geology, hydrology, and the risk of erosion and flooding make it fundamentally unsuitable for the proposed development.
• Its proximity to high density housing would be seriously injurious to residential amenity.
• At the end of a peninsula, with a single access road, the excessive increase in traffic would be prejudicial to public safety and amenity.

12-13 Inadequate road infrastructure

• The development would endanger public safety by reason of serious traffic hazard and obstruction of road users.
• It would be premature given that the inadequate road infrastructure is unlikely to be rectified within a reasonable period

14 Risk to public safety
With the proximity to the National Maritime College and other Seveso II plants, the inadequacy of emergency infrastructure, and a location at the end of a peninsula, the development could pose significant risks to public safety in the event of a major accident.

Quotes from the Inspector's Assessment

"it would not be prudent to accept the conclusions … in the EIS in relation to the likely significant impacts of the proposed development."

"the proposed site … is objectively unsuitable to accommodate the proposed development. It should, in my judgment, be refused on this ground."

"I would support the Planning Authority’s reason for refusal, but would considerably add to it."