Health links must be explored

AN Bórd Pleanála’s decision to give the country’s first municipal waste incinerator the green light was bound to trigger outrage among environmentalist.

Given the inconclusive nature of links between cancer and incinerators, it was inevitable that the go-ahead to build one at Duleek, Co Meath, would be met with disappointment.

It has been condemned by An Taisce, the national planning watchdog, as an ill-advised endorsement of incineration as a means of waste disposal.

That said, however, the operation of incinerators in other countries is seen as relatively safe, a factor inherent in the Government’s waste disposal policy, which involves a mix of landfill dumps and incineration.

Because of the lack of reliable information about the impact of pollution on health, the fears of people living in areas earmarked for incinerators are understandable.

It underlines the urgent need to develop reliable information systems to measure the impact of pollution on health and the environment.

The €80m Duleek plant will burn 150,000 tonnes of waste annually from Meath, Louth, Cavan and Monaghan.

This figure illustrates the dilemma of local authorities, which are facing a growing mountain of waste. It also underlines the need for an effective, health-conscious policy to resolve this growing crisis.