Incinerator will tackle sludge from sewage plants

SOUTH Tipperary is set to have its first incinerator in the coming year.

A drier, which will incinerate the sludge produced by various sewage plants, will be located on the site of Clonmel’s existing waste water treatment plant on the Waterford Road.

One of the first of its kind to be provided in this country, the sludge drier will produce fertiliser and will operate at high temperatures to kill any bacteria in the sludge.

Clonmel town manager Billy McEvoy said the plant will be totally sealed and there should be no emissions from it.

However, some residents are said to be deeply worried about the possibility of dangerous fumes or odours from the facility, and they will be seeking assurances from the local authority - Clonmel Borough Council.

Mr McEvoy said: “There should be no difficulty in the context of the operation of the sludge drier.

“Having said that, however, it is a physical operation and something just might go wrong at some stage, but the risk would be very low.”

It is expected there will be a number of objectors when the application is in train. The sludge drier is at the tender stage and the next step will be seeking approval from the Department of the Environment to proceed with the appointment of contractors for the supply and installation of the facility.

Mr McEvoy said they will be looking to put a long-term contract - 20 years or more - in place. The conditions pertaining to its operation will be stringent and there will be penalties for non-compliance with planning and environmental regulations.

The proposed drier has already been the subject of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and was given the approval of An Bord Pleanála. And according to Clonmel town clerk Billy Doyle, it went through a public consultation process many years ago so effectively it is now over the planning process.

However, local Fine Gael councillor Sean Nyhan warned: “This drier will have to deal with the sludge from all over South Tipperary and it will have to be transported into Clonmel.

“The people living in the Waterford Road area have only got a whisper of it yet. There’s going to be trouble.”