Councillors Oppose New Incinerator for Capital - article in Evening Herald 15 July 2008

Councillors in South Dublin have angrily dismissed plans for an incinerator in the Rathcoole area. If the plan is approved it would be the third incinerator to be given permission in the Dublin area. It now seems unlikely to go ahead as the council has unanimously oppposed it and communicated this to An Bord Pleanála, who have the final say.

Five separate motions, all rejctin the incinerator were agreed upon by the Council.

Green Party Councillor, Tony McDermott said "The Green Party opposes incineration as not necessary and too risky."

Councillor Mick Murphy rejected the plans on health and safety grounds, saying that the stack for the incinerator, while 84m highm would only stick above the ground 9m and blow emissions at a low level. He added that until recycling reaches 50% they should not be thinking of incineration.

Labout Councillor, Paddy Cosgrave, acknowledged that people may view the decision as only locals being opposed to the incinerator, but said residents in towns further away were also  concerned. "I live in Rathfarnham and residents there are against it. People are fearful of being downwind of the fumes" he said.

Labour Councillor, Eamonn Maloney, was sceptical of the idea that Dublin needs another incinerator. "We should put this in perspective. Dublin by European standards is a very small city" he said. "Can anyone stand up and ssay that a city of 1.3 million people will create enough waste to fee three incinerators?"

Independent Guss O'Connell agreed, saying, "If we did it we'd have to feed the monster" and we "are wasting nature's resources" while John Hannon, Fianna Fáil, said "we'd be importing waste from other countries." He said he was also worried that the contract could be sold to a less reliable operator in the future and become more dangerous.

Other councillors resented having to make submissions to An Bord Pleanála, who are unelected. Fine Gael Councillor, Colm Brophy said "we are sitting here, as elected representatives, talking about making submissions to an unelected body. It's a travesty of democracy." He also called upon the council to agree not to use the incinerator for any of its own waste, if by chance the project gets the go-ahead.

REPORT by Dermot Ryan Evening Herald