Company plans to process 250,000 tonnes per year

WASTE from food processing industries, breweries, bone meal, slurry and other effluents will be transported to Araglin from all over Munster if Valeco is allowed to proceed with its anaerobic digester project.

The company estimates that it will be able to process around 250,000 tonnes of waste annually.

Anaerobic digestion is a natural process for decomposing organic waste. It will convert waste into bio-energy through green electricity and also create solid fertiliser to spread on land.

Martin Hogan, who is Valeco’s project manager, agreed the Ballard site had a “very contentious” history, which wasn’t helping his company’s plans.

He said he appreciated concerns raised by residents about the possibility that some residues may still lie at the bottom of the lagoons.

“I can appreciate people are concerned and we owe it to our future neighbours to inspect the site thoroughly,” he said.