Waste incineration is outdated and benefits no-one but company

As partners for the past 11 years of the Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment, we were relieved at the decision of Indaver to abandon its legal challenge to An Bord Pleanála’s planning refusal for their incinerators at Ringaskiddy.

Alas, our relief was short-lived as this company, insultingly disregarding the 30,000 people in Cork who objected to its plans, now intends to submit yet another application for the same site.

The plain fact, clearly demonstrated at the public hearings, is that waste incineration is outdated and benefits no-one but the incinerator company. Every aspect of it carries a high cost to us.

With regard to health costs, cutting edge reports from eminent physicians and toxicologists are in the possession of An Bord Pleanála and the Department of the Environment.

These all advise strongly against the building of incinerators, warning of the toxicity of ultra-fine particulate emissions and their ability to be blown large distances, contaminating farm and pasture lands, bio-accumulating in dairy products and passing through the pulmonary cell walls. Is this what we want for our agriculture and our people? Apart from the problem of emissions, about 30% of what goes into an incinerator comes out as ash, needing specialised, expensive landfill facilities.

With regard to carbon emissions, European environmental consultants Eunomia calculated the carbon cost of incineration with combined heat and power at £10.21 per tonne as compared with £6.01 per tonne for mechanical and biological treatmen,t with anaerobic digestion generating heat and electricity.

The equivalent euro savings on both Poolbeg and Ringaskiddy make scrapping plans for incinerators in Ireland a no-brainer.

Incinerators mitigate against resource protection.

If we wish to survive on this planet and preserve finite resources for future generations we need to design our products and processes with real energy efficiency and the environment as a priority.

Rejecting incineration is vital to the opening up of much needed job opportunities in expanded reclamation industries.

Our Government has an essential responsibility to encourage such opportunities and protect the common good.

Rosie Cargin

Kinsale

Environment Watch

Co Cork