Irish Independent - 20-07-05
Incinerator company gets go-ahead for plant to treat toxic solvents

THE company planning to build incinerators in Ireland has been granted permission by the Environmental Protection Agency to operate a plant in Dublin Port to treat 20,000 tonnes of toxic solvents annually from the pharmaceutical industry.

Indaver Ireland's plant at Tolka Quay Road, Dublin Port, will be the first of its kind in Ireland.

The company says the facility approved yesterday will blend waste solvents from the pharmaceutical industry into a substitute fuel for use in the cement industry. Solvents are among the most toxic and difficult waste streams.

Indaver is at the centre of a controversy over its plans to build and operate a toxic waste incinerator in Rinngaskiddy in Cork and a municipal waste incinerator at Carranstown, Co Meath.

Balfour Beatty have been awarded the contract for the construction of the solvent-blending facility and Conor Jones, a chemical engineer with Indaver Ireland, has been appointed construction manager.

The €4m facility will include holding tanks and a laboratory, and building will start in September.

The EPA has, meanwhile, put off a decision on the two incinerator licences until October 21.

Local residents are vehemently opposed to the planned incinerators and have mounted several legal attempts to block its construction.

Treacy Hogan
Environment Correspondent