| |
What is proposed for Ringaskiddy?
Where is the site located?
Is Ringaskiddy a suitable
site for this incinerator?
What waste will be burnt?
Where will the waste come from?
Waste goes in, but
what comes out?
Are these by-products dangerous?
What are the effects of dioxin on human health?
Does the EU set down guidelines for waste management?
What are the alternatives?
How will the incinerator affect food producers?
What
is proposed for Ringaskiddy?
Phase 1: A mixed hazardous and industrial non-hazardous
waste management facility (fluidised bed incinerator) with a capacity
of 100,000 tonnes. The main process building will be 35m (115ft) high
and the associated stack will be 55m (180ft) high.
Phase 2: A 100,000 tonnes
facility for non-hazardous commercial and household waste, subject
to a separate planning application.
Click
here to take a virtual tour of an incinerator.
Where is the site located?
The site of the proposed incinerator is
at the end of a cul-de-sac on the Western shore of Cork Harbour. Click
here for map.
More specifically,
it is located:
- Within 5 mins. walk of Ringaskiddy village.
- In the Ringaskiddy Industrial Area (thousands
of employees).
- Next to Ireland's new National Maritime College
(800+ people), only 20 metres separating their boundary walls.
- About 1/2 km from the Naval Base on Hawlbowline
island (1000 personnel).
- About 2 km from Cobh and Great Island (15,000
people).
- Between 3 and 5 km from Monkstown/Passage
west (9000 people).
- About 5 km from Carrigaline/Crosshaven (15,000
people).
- Less than 10 km from Midleton and other East
Cork towns.
- About 12 km from Cork city (123,000 people)
- Currabinny, Shanbally, Rochestown, Aghada,
and Whitegate are also close by.
Emissions from the incinerator will carry to
all these populations, depending on the wind direction. Southerly
winds will carry emissions in the direction of Cobh, Midleton, Cork
city and the Lee Basin. South-east, East and North east winds will
carry emissions over Carrigaline. Crosshaven and Currabinny will be
in line when the wind is from the East or North East. The Midleton
area and the eastern side of Cork Harbour are exposed when the wind
is blowing from the SouthWest, NorthWest and West.
Is
Ringaskiddy a suitable site for this incinerator?
No! According to WHO guidelines, to Cork County Council, and to An
Bord Pleanála’s own senior planning inspector. Click here
for more information.
What waste will be burnt?
Click here for a partial list.
Where will the waste come
from?
Good Question! The proposed incinerator has a capacity for hazardous
waste incineration in the range 80,000 – 126,000 tonnes. But the facility
is intended only for “hazardous waste that is currently exported for
incineration”.
Nationally, about 48,000 tonnes of hazardous
waste fits into this category (EPA report) – this indicates 40-62%
overcapacity. And the target in our National Hazardous Waste Management
Plan is to reduce the quantity of hazardous waste for disposal to1996
levels (about 27,000 tonnes) – this indicates 66-79% overcapacity.
So where will the waste come from? There are
only three possibilities: we increase our generation of hazardous
waste, the incinerator accepts non-hazardous waste (mainly produced
outside County Cork), or we import hazardous waste from other countries.
Waste goes in, but
what comes out?
Incineration does not destroy waste – it merely converts it to other
forms, all of which contain pollutants that are harmful to our health.
That is why they are regulated.
- Stack gases: Include dioxins,
PCBs, and heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium, etc.). All of these
are persistent (degrade very slowly), bioaccumulative (build up
in living organisms over time), and toxic.
- Dust particles: Much of this
is ultrafine. This means that it is easily inhaled and can reach
the deepest part of our lungs, where it can do the most damage.
- Ash: Much of this is hazardous
and must be disposed of to a hazardous waste landfill. The proximity
principle dictates that this landfill must be close to the source
of the ash, so not only do we get a hazardous waste incinerator
but also a hazardous waste landfill.
Are
these by-products dangerous?
Yes. Click here for more information.
What are the effects
of dioxin on human health?
Short-term exposure to high levels of dioxins may result in skin and
altered liver function. Long-term exposure is linked to impairment
of the immune system, the developing nervous system, the endocrine
system and reproductive functions. The International Agency for Research
on Cancer (IARC) categorises dioxin as a “known human carcinogen"
(Click
here for the full report).
Foetuses are most sensitive to dioxin exposure. Newborns may also
be more vulnerable to certain effects. (WHO
Fact Sheet)
Does the EU set down guidelines for waste management?
Yes. The four key principles are:
- Prevention principle - limit
waste production at the source.This is the top priority in the Waste
Hierarchy on which EU and Ireland’s waste management strategies
are based.
- Polluter pays principle -
cost of dealing with waste to be met by the waste producer.
- Precautionary principle –
One definition goes as follows: “When an activity raises threats
of harm to human health or the environment, precautionary measures
should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are
not fully established scientifically. In this context the proponent
of an activity, rather than the public, should bear the burden of
the proof. “
- Proximity principle - waste
should be dealt with as close as possible to its source. Click here
to see how this applies to the Ringaskiddy incinerator.
What are the alternatives?
Many and varied! Click here for further
information and here for more again.
How will the incinerator
affect food producers?
Click here for
information.
|