The incineration of democracy

YOU will be aware of An Bord Pleanála’s decision to uphold Meath County Council’s decision to grant planning permission for a municipal waste incinerator in the heart of the Boyne Valley, close to the Unesco World Heritage site of Brú na Boinne and on the footprint of the Battle of the Boyne.

This is an act of cultural vandalism on a scale not seen before in Ireland and must be vigorously contested.

This incinerator, if it is not throttled, would generate circa 50,000 tonnes of ash annually, some of which would be highly toxic, and which would require to be disposed via landfill and other methods. Such a plant would also generate hundreds of tonnes of toxic emissions including dioxins and furans in direct conflict with Ireland's commitment to reduce and eliminate these as a signatory to the UN Treaty on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).