Plans for asbestos recycling plant in Mayo

An Irish waste management firm is reportedly planning to build a €10m asbestos recycling plant in Killala, Co Mayo.

Reports this morning said Irish Environmental Processes Ltd was planning to establish the plant on the site of the former Asahi textile factory in the town.

The proposed facility would use "thermo-chemical" technology to transform asbestos into non-hazardous material that could then be used in road construction and other projects.

Asbestos was widely used as a fire retardant and as insulation on construction sites until its dangers were highlighted in the 1980s.