LOCK UP YOUR DAUGHTERS? - LOCK UP YOUR WINDOWS!

Henry Fielding’s hit musical, “Lock Up Your Daughters” comes to mind when one is made aware of the proposed plans for a Waste Incinerator at Behan’s Quarry, 3 km south of Rathcoole on the N7. The planning application was made by US company Energy Answers. Oral hearings for this planning application will take place in The Green Isle Hotel on Wednesday 12^th November and with 280 objections, it is expected that they will last for several weeks.

In a detailed 32 page submission by the Dublin Regional Authority, they point out that the escape of strong odours from the proposed facility will impinge greatly on the residents of the local area. The Authority’s very well researched statement points out that SEMASS, the company who will operate the plant, ‘has experienced persistent complaints regarding odours from another facility that they operate in the USA – these odours are believed to be associated with the shredding operation’. Although the use of odour suppression to alleviate these smells have been used, more permanent technologies may be required to guarantee cleaner air in the vicinity of a waste incinerator site. These technologies will incur significant additional expenditure and there is no evidence that this technology is yet available or invented.

So, if An Bord Pleanala grants Energy Answers planning permission to build a waste incinerator in Behan’s Quarry , on the edge of Dublin city on the N7, the thousands of motorists who use this roadway will not be requested to lock up their daughters, but instead, Lock Up Your Windows . The odours will be unbearable. And what about local residents ? They will have to lock up all their windows – in homes and in their vehicles. Considering that the Kill Landfill site is 8 km from Rathcoole, odours from this facility reach the village of Rathcoole on a regular basis. This very serious point will be debated by many of the objectors at the hearing.

Noise levels and visual impact from the proposed site will degrade the social fabric of communities for miles around. The Dublin Regional Authority further add in their report that Energy Answers propose to incinerate 1000 tons of waste per day, which they assume will result that the facility will be in operation 24 hours a day, for 365 days a year. For thousands of households that, of course will mean, lock up your windows 365 days a year !

Planning approval has already been granted to Dublin City Council, on behalf of all four authorities, (The Dublin Regional Authority) for the construction of the Waste Incinerator facility in Minister Gormley’s own constituency on the Poolbeg Peninsula. The Dublin Regional Authority remind us that this approval was sought on the basis that the four authorities had agreed that this development would be the Region’s sole Waste Incinerator facility. The construction of another waste incinerator at a location identified as unsuitable by all four authorities is clearly contrary to this policy objective.

It must be noted that personnel from The Dublin Regional Authority have visited some of Semass plants in the US and they have noted concern in their submission that frequent fires and explosions have occurred in the waste processing areas. Imagine a fire adjacent to the N7? And the Dioxin emissions? Most likely the N7 would be closed down for at least 24 hours. “On this basis alone, it is difficult to imagine An Bord Pleanala granting planning permission for a Waste Incinerator facility to be built at Behan’s Quarry on the N7”, cites Liam Mc Dermott, PRO for Rathcoole Against Incinerator Dioxins (R.A.I.D.)

We are aware that Energy answers sold its waste incinerator assets last year to a company called Covanta . And now The Dublin Regional Authority engineers are concerned that Energy Answers is a shell organization with limited planning, technical, operational and commercial expertise or experience.

The Dublin Regional Authority also mention other concerns such as the air quality and the disposal of the thousands of tons of toxic ash that such a facility would create every year.

Both the National Roads Authority (NRA) the Dublin Regional Authority have grave concerns about the extra traffic that such a large Waste Incinerator plant as this would cause. The NRA say in their submission that such extra traffic would result in traffic congestion and major accidents could occur at the entrance/exit to Behan’s Quarry site on the N7.

In a submission by the Eastern Regional Fisheries Board, they point out that the proposed development is in the catchment area of the nearby Griffeen river. This river supports migratory sea trout in its lower stretches and resident brown trout throughout. Contaminated water from a Waste Incinerator would cause great damage to the continued life of these fish.

Other strong objections were received by An Bord Pleanala from many Residents and Residents’ Associations in the surrounding areas.

Objections were also received from The Irish Aviation Authority, An Taisce, The Department of the Environment Heritage and Local Government, Rathcoole Heritage Society, Cavan Developments Bloodstock, Goffs Bloodstock Agency, Horse trainer Ted Walsh, Punchestown and Naas Racecourses, Kill International Equestrian Centre, Kill, Irish Thoroughbreed Association, Lamberton Properties, Mc Hale Hire, Kildare County Council Planning Section, Dublin City Council Waste Service Division, The Native Woodland Trust , elected members of Dail Eireann and many local county councilors.

In the eyes of many professionals it is very difficult to comprehend planning approval for this project getting the go ahead. If planning is given it will be a matter of Locking Up Your Windows permanently.

Liam Mc Dermott PRO for RAID (Rathcoole Against Incinerator Dioxins)