Modern incinerators will not affect public health
Indaver has always been willing to debate public health in the context of incineration.
The WHO, in its publication Waste Incineration: Series 6, states that incineration will not impact on public health and for this reason it is “possible to locate facilities near to densely-populated areas”.
The European Commission, in conjunction with the WHO and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, has stated that incinerators operating to the EU waste incineration directive will not impact on public health or the environment.
The EPA, in granting an operating licence for the proposed Ringaskiddy facility, has imposed more stringent conditions than those set in the EU directive.
The Food Safety Authority, which is an agency of the Department of Health and Children, has studied dioxin emissions from Ireland’s planned incinerators and its findings confirm that they will not impact on food produce.
More recently, in November 2005, Britain’s Health Protection Agency, in its advice to local health boards, confirmed that modern incinerators would not impact on public health.
Other European countries, such as Germany, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Holland, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, use incineration for the treatment of residual waste.
Waste incineration as a technology is growing in Europe. This growth is expected to continue in the coming years as Europe moves away from an outdated system of landfill towards recycling and energy recovery. Such a growth in waste incineration would not be taking place if the governments of these countries believed that it impacted on public health.
Mr Roberts also stated that, during the EPA oral hearing, Indaver did not provide evidence that incineration does not impact on public health or the environment, nor did we challenge evidence by Dr Ten Tusscher at the hearing.
Indaver did indeed submit such evidence on health from agencies such as the WHO, the European Commission, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, the Health Information Quality Authority and others. Dr Ten Tusscher’s evidence was undeniably refuted by the company at the hearing and this is a matter of public record.
Incineration has a part to play in the development of a modern waste management system in Ireland. In addition, Ireland must become self-sufficient and reduce its dependency on other countries to dispose of its hazardous waste.
Jackie Keaney
Project Manager
Indaver Ireland
I4 Haddington Terrace
Dun Laoghaire
Co Dublin
