Gormley circular places emphasis away from incineration

ANTI-INCINERATOR lobby groups have welcomed a circular sent by Environment Minister John Gormley, to all local authorities and An Bord Pleanála outlining how department waste strategy is to be directed away from incineration towards sustainable waste management.

Planning permission has been granted for two incinerators in Co Meath and at Poolbeg in Dublin, and an An Bord Pleanála hearing is under way in Cork into a proposed €150 million hazardous and municipal waste incinerator in Cork Harbour. Incineration is a key focus of the National Development Plan, but the programme for government by the Green Party and Fianna Fáil calls for this role to be reduced in favour of the mechanical and biological treatment of waste.

The circular, sent at the end of last week, states that as Ireland will have to comply with the landfill directive from next year, and will face fines of up to €500,000 per day unless we radically reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfill, the minister is pressing ahead with initiatives to reduce the amount of biodegradable waste going to landfill.