Incinerator ruling delayed until 2004

Wednesday October 22nd 2003

AN BORD Pleanala has said it won't be able to deliver a ruling on a controversial €100m toxic waste incinerator proposal until early 2004.

The board has completed a major oral hearing into Indaver's proposed incinerator in Cork and has now written to Cork Co Council and the other involved parties indicating that, under the provisions of the Planning Act (1992), they will be requiring longer than the four months stipulated to reach a verdict.

The board confirmed that it now hopes to conclude the appeal lodged by Belgian firm, Indaver, over the refusal by Cork Co Council of its €100m incinerator plan by January 16, 2004.

The appeal currently focuses on Indaver's plans for an incinerator, a waste management facility, waste transfer station and recycling park at Ringaskiddy, Co Cork.

The initial incinerator proposal by Indaver involves a facility capable of handling 100,000 tonnes of toxic waste per annum. But the company hopes to add a secondary processing capability at the Ringaskiddy station which will result in over 100,000 tonnes of municipal waste also being incinerated.

In a statement to the various parties, the board said it could not deliver an appeal ruling within four months because of the complexity of the issues involved and the fact that "voluminous evidence" was generated by the recent oral hearing.

Ralph Riegel

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