Green Party complain to EU officials over incinerators

GREEN PARTY leaders today meet EU Environment Commissioner Margot Walstrom’s to formally complain about plans to build Irish incinerators.

MEP Patricia McKenna and TD John Gormley will lead the delegation meeting with the EU officials in Brussels.

Yesterday, the Green Party set out its position paper which urges recycling as an alternative solution to incinerators.

The party believes planning approval given for two incinerators at Carranstown, Co Meath, and Ringaskiddy, Co Cork breach EU law.

There are also plans by Dublin City Council for an incinerator on the Poolbeg peninsula at Ringsend.

Mr Gormley said incinerators had to be fed with rubbish to burn at full capacity. The Greens say Environment Minister Martin Cullen's "desperation" to build a necklace of incinerators around Ireland represents an abdication of his responsibility to pursue a meaningful national strategy of waste prevention and minimisation.