CHASE Press Release - Mon 8 June, 2009
CHASE Chairperson Says Incinerator Wrong On Every Level
David Stanton, TD, Outlines Government Policy Changes

CHASE Chairperson Mary O'Leary, who is a qualified Environmental Scientist today presented a comprehensive outline of the CHASE 8 year long opposition to the Indaver Incinerator proposal. In a 16 page submission, Ms O'Leary addressed the proposals failure under every heading, but said it merits refusal on visual amenity alone.

Addressing how no amount of engineering can make a wrong site right, Ms O'Leary said "It is my understanding that the WHO considers toxic waste incinerators to be dangerous and if one is to be built then it must pass the criteria they set in an effort to minimise its effect. This site fails these criteria.

It logically follows on from there that if your site is wrong from the beginning then nothing can correct that. No emission standards or engineering solutions will make it better. Indaver have spent their time since purchasing the Ringaskiddy trying 'to shoe–horn' the site into the WHO fit."

Ms O'Leary appealed to the Bord "to put into practice all they have learnt as planners and on visual impact alone, to refuse the facility. Our experts in this area, Mr Roddy Hogan and Ms Hazel Mc Carthy dealt with this in a most impressive manner as did Mr Sean Mc Loughlin, the County Architect. The incinerator, which is the same length as the QE2, is simply too big and cannot be diminished in size."

East Cork TD, Mr David Stanton (FG) also presented at this mornings Oral Hearing. Mr Stanton outlined the significant changes in government policy which have taken place since the last Oral Hearing decision. Mr Stanton said "All the main opposition political parties also favour the reduce, reuse, recycle principle. Fine Gael, now the largest Political Party nationally, believes that major emphasis must be placed in terms of waste management on the prevention and minimisation of waste and the provision of recycling facilities.

More importantly, there has been a change in our national government policy since the incinerator planning process began in 2001. There was an important policy shift in 2007 away from incineration to recycling."

Mr Stanton cited extracts from Agreed Programme for Government (p22) to back up this, as well as quoting January 09 Government commitments, and the recent circular from Environment Minister John Gormley (May 2009), directing waste towards alternative technologies.

Mr Stanton also said that the issue of the incinerator was raised by a lot of concered constituents during the recent election campaign, and not one person he met on the campaign trail wants this incinerator.

ENDS

Contacts:
Mary O’Leary, 086 8177737, 021 4811952
Mary Hurley, 086 8162448, 021 4803070
Linda FitzPatrick, 087 7410849, 021 4374506