Writes Ciaran Dineen
International waste management company, Indaver, have announced their plans to apply to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for an emissions license at their proposed incinerator facility in Ringaskiddy, South Cork. The Cork Harbour Area for a Safe Environment (CHASE), were notified by Indaver, in a letter dated June 14th.
Permission for the incinerator in Ringaskiddy was granted by An Bord Pleanála (ABP) in May 2018, following almost two decades of a planning process. The movement against the proposals has continued to build momentum, with local group CHASE being the strongest cohort in opposition.
Proposed location for incinerator
Despite the recommendations from a number of impartial planning inspectors saying that planning should be refused, the ABP board did not heed the advice and pressed ahead by giving their approval. A two-week Judicial Review began in March this year, after a significant amount of money was fundraised to initiate the High Court proceedings.
A member of CHASE recently told The Carrigdhounthat they were very confident that they have a strong case and this had been widely acknowledged. The grounds presented to the High Court from solicitors representing CHASE involve objective bias, breaches of EU law, the infeasibility of the site and false evidence provided.
The decision to apply to the EPA comes as a major surprise, given that the Judicial Review into the granting of permission for the incinerator to be built has only just finished in the High Court, with no decision yet made.
Last week The Carrigdhoun published an opinion piece on the process, highlighting that the recent elections in Ireland, which culminated in a ‘Green Wave’, would not deter Indaver. This seems to have been proven the case as Indaver seem as bold as ever to push on with their incinerator agenda, despite the fact that the High Court has not yet made a ruling. This would suggest that Indaver are very confident of getting a decision in their favour.
Protests last year
In a statement from the CHASE chairperson, Mary O’Leary said “Indaver are obviously presuming that their permission will stand in advance of any High Court decision, which we believe is a premature assumption.” She continued “It is of note however that recent peer reviewed studies show that particles coming out of incinerators are more toxic than for other combustion processes*, which reinforces concerns we have voiced over the years.”
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