Council to get legal advice on gasification plant deal

Members of Limerick City and County Council will be legally advised next Tuesday if a deal made, to lease a closed landfill site for the construction of a huge gasification plant, can be rescinded.

A decision by the Adare-Rathkeale municipal district of the council to lease the old Gortadoma landfill site to US company, Candence EnviroPower (CEP) sparked a storm of controversy and public anger.

The full council which later rubber-stamped the deal, has now asked management to seek legal advice if the decision can be reversed.

At a meeting yesterday, it emerged that all council members will be briefed by legal advisers on the status of the deal, and whether it can be rescinded.

Gortadroma landfill near Shanagolden village closed last year after 15 years. It handled 3,000 tonnes of municipal waste weekly.

At a meeting earlier this year, the six councillors on the municipal authority approved the landfill site deal.

Cadence EnviroPower (CEP) plans to build a €240m facility to process 7,000 tonnes of waste and thousands of used tyres each week for incineration.

Rental of the site to CEP will yield €4m a year for 30 years to the council.

A local action group RAGE (Residents Against Gasification in our Environment) is resisting the plan.