Further hearing into plan by Indaver starts today

AN BORD Pleanala will hold an oral hearing starting today into the proposals for increased capacity at the planned incinerator at Carranstown, Duleek.

The hearing is expected to run until Friday.

Last August, Meath County Council granted planning permission to Indaver Ireland for an increase in capacity from 150,000 to 200,000 tonnes per annum at its proposed incinerator at Carranstown.

The company said that the increased tonnage was in line with the new North-East Waste Management Plan. Other changes included a revised layout of the facility and new design features.

An Bord Pleanala received a number of appeals against the council’s decision and indicated that it would hold an oral hearing into the appeals.

Pat O’Brien of the No Incineration Alliance, who was among those who lodged an appeal, this week called on members of the public and local representatives from all political parties opposed to this plan to turn up and voice their opposition to the proposal.

“A bigger plant, bigger emissions, bigger traffic numbers, will present bigger problems for everybody concerned and all of this at a time when we were told by the powers that be that we still have 25 years’ landfill available to us here in the north-east. Recycling is also on the increase and incineration is simply not needed,” he said.

Mr O’Brien pointed out that the proposal would see an incinerator built on one of the largest aquifers in the county, which continues to supply water to people living and

working in the region.

“Where is the sense in building an incinerator on top of such a valuable and scarce resource. It is complete madness,” he added.

Mr O’Brien said that the hearing affords all political representatives from all parties an opportunity to place on the record their opposition to the incinerator.

He pointed out that, during the planning process for the initial smaller plant, those opposed to incineration convinced the planning inspector that the plant shouldn’t be built at Carranstown, but his decision was overturned by the planning appeal’s board.

Ann Casey
Meath Chronicle