Firm unveils plans ground-breaking asbestos recycling plant

AN IRISH waste management company yesterday announced plans to establish Europe’s first asbestos recycling plant of its kind.

Locals in Killala, Co Mayo have expressed concern about the plant.

It is expected to cost €10 million and employ 30 workers. However, it must first secure approval from Mayo County Council and the Environmental Protection Agency.

The company behind the project, Irish Environmental Processes Ltd (IEP), plans to establish the new plant on the site of the former Japanese-owned Asahi textile factory.

The company says it will be using thermo-chemical technology developed in the US to break down asbestos into non-hazardous materials which can be used in road construction among other things.

Two years ago, the company signed an agreement with ARI Technologies of Washington to design and install a system in Ireland that will recycle asbestos into non-hazardous, asbestos-free construction aggregates. ARI also licensed IEP to become the owner and operator of the system in Ireland.

According to ARI, the system will convert toxic, typically bulky waste into a usable product.

In a statement, the US company said: “This option is economical and ecologically preferable to dumping waste into increasingly expensive landfills where there is a risk of future exposure to humans and the environment. ARI will build and test the new system in the United States then ship it to Ireland where it will be assembled and commissioned to assure compliance with all Irish regulatory requirements.” The company is currently operating a system in Tacoma, Washington.

Dale Timmons, president of ARI, says the system has already been approved and permitted by the US environment protection authority. However, a spokesperson for the Irish Environmental Protection Agency said yesterday that the EPA has not received an application and that it would be well into the New Year before the matter is decided.

“The Irish company have been in touch with us and we have advised them to apply for a waste licence. No application has come in yet,” said the EPA spokesperson.

According to ARI, its high-temperature process destroys asbestos through mineralogical conversion. “The process results in 100% destruction of asbestos and produces a product that is inert, non-toxic, unregulated, and suitable for construction applications,” said the company.

However, concerns were expressed at the weekend in the Killala area over the safety of the new recycling plant. Independent TD Jerry Cowley said it would appear all of the country’s asbestos waste would be transported by road to Killala if the plant was given the go-ahead. Local people had grave worries over how this could be done safely, Mr Cowley added.

Much of the asbestos around the country was embedded in publicly owned buildings. The Office of Public Works began an asbestos removal programme in all 6,000 State buildings five years ago and that is now almost concluded. Asbestos was used widely as a lagging material and in cement products for insulation and fire-protection.