Ireland in EU court over planning laws breach
The European Court of Justice opens hearings this week in significant challenge by the EC to Ireland’s alleged failure to implement European planning laws. Irish law requires planning authorities to have regard to an environmental impact statement, but the EC claims that this ‘‘does not correspond to the wider duty’’ on authorities to undertake an environmental impact assessment, which ‘‘identifies, describes and assesses the direct and indirect effects of a project on the environment’’. Read more

Incinerator Site Submerged Again
Burst Water Main Blocks Car Access to Haulbowline, necessitating the ferrying by truck of naval personnel to Haulbowline and leaving over 180 cars stranded on the road beside the proposed Indaver incinerator site.
Press Release

CHASE refers An Bord Pleanala to EC
CHASE has today referred the granting of yet another extension by An Bord Pleanala to Indaver Ireland to the European Commission.
Press Release     Irish Examiner

Fire at Issy-Les-Moulineaux incinerator
The Tiru incinerator in Issy-Les-Moulineaux, a suburb on the southwest outskirts of Paris, was
in the process of being dismantled when a fire started yesterday (March 2010) in some demolition debris.
Read more

Bord Peanala to Kill Municipal Waste Incinerator but Give Second Bite of Cherry on Hazardous Waste Incinerator
Indications in a letter sent to Indaver by an Bord Pleanala are that permission will be refused for a 150,000 tonne Municipal Waste Incinerator in Ringaskiddy, but that they are considering the granting of permission for a 100,000 tonne Hazardous Waste Incinerator (for 5 years), pending submission of further information with regard to works to flooding, coastal erosion, and revised emissions.
See CHASE Press Release. See RTE News. See media reports

Hammond Lane Explosion Highlights Need For Planning Sanity
Several Units of the Firebrigade struggled for over an hour and a half to bring flames from an explosion at the Hammond Lane metalworks in Ringaskiddy under control this evening (22nd December). The Hammond Lane site is enclosed on three sides by the site on which Indaver Ireland plan to build hazardous and municipal waste incinerators.
Read press release. See RTE video. See News stories.

Decision On Ringaskiddy Incinerator Delayed
Bord Pleanala's decision on Ringaskiddy Incinerator (originally due 30th Oct 2009 and deferred until 4th Dec) is now expected by 29 January, 2010.

Incinerator Site Falls Foul Of New Flood Planning Guidelines
The proposed site for Indavers two incinerators in Ringaskiddy, Co Cork, falls foul of the statutory Flood Planning Guidelines issued yesterday (30 Nov 2009).
Read more.  See News relase and guidelines.

Indaver Incinerator Site Flooded Again
The proposed site for the Ringaskiddy incinerator flooded once again with the heavy rains in November.
Read more.  Read letters to media. See Indymedia.

Living with and learning lessons from the floods
The precautionary principle is an essential component for the future; we must be ultra cautious about placing infrastructure or housing in any areas with a flood history and be conscious that areas above the floodplain may become high risk in the future.

We need to accelerate the production of floodplain maps tied to future climate scenario data. But ultimately we have to recognise that containing a river is rather like squeezing an overweight individual into a tight pair of trousers. We can pull at the corset strings all we like; but inevitably something will pop out somewhere else!

Perhaps slimming down our greenhouse gas emissions is something in the longer term that would make a contribution to ensuring that our towns and cities do not in future start taking part in a reality TV show competing for the title of: Venice of the North.

Extract from article by Prof John Sweeney. Read more.

Old Cork Postcards
For sale in aid of CHASE - 4 postcards of old Cork from the Day Collection of photographs. 5 Euro per packet. Full details.

Waste Review puts Ringaskiddy Incinerator in Competition with Government Policy
CHASE welcomes publication of the International Review of Waste Management Policy, which will provide a ‘blueprint’ for change to “achieve a wholly sustainable approach to waste management”, according to Environment Minister, John Gormley.
Read more.

CHASE Seek Clarification On Indaver Contact With ABP re. Hazardous Waste Landfill Proposal
CHASE have written to An Bord Pleanala formally requsting clarification on any Indaver involvement in discussions with An Bord Pleanala regarding a Hazardous Ash Dump in Naul. Read more.

Fundraising
Almost 8 years since Indaver first lodged an application for its incinerators in Ringaskiddy, a final Oral Hearing is now over, with a decision expected iin October.

In the meantime, funds are needed to pay for the specialist representation at the Hearing on behalf of the harbour communities. An immense amount of voluntary time and effort has gone into the campaign so far, and we need your help one last time.

Contributions can be sent to CHASE, West End Terrace, Cobh, Co. Cork (cheques payable to CHASE).

Please also support the fund raising activities going on over the next couple of months. Details will be added to our Events page as they become available.

Thur 18th June - After a five week Oral Hearing, An Bord Pleanala Inspector Oznur Yucel-Finn heard closing submissions from Community Representatives, Statutory Bodies, Indaver and CHASE. Read more.

Wed 17th June - Maritime College Lecturer Says Incinerators Will Negatively Impact College - Department of Environment Recommends Bond to Cover Ecological Restoration In Case of Accident. Read more.

Tue 16th June - Expert Estimates Incinerator Health Burden to Cost Community €150m, debunks Incinerator Efficiency, and Says Question Mark Hangs Over Bottom Ash Classification. Read more.

Mon 15th June - Distances Claimed As Safe In Application Will Be Regarded By Emergency Response Agencies As Well Inside Danger Zone. Read more.

Thur 11th June - Epidemiologist Says EIS Should Be Withdrawn Due to Plagiarism. Ireland Still Not Equipped To Monitor Human Health. Read more.

Wed 10th June - CIT Students Union President Corrects Indaver And Hammers Home Objection. An Taisce claims the site location at Ringaskiddy as “wholly unsuitable”. Read more.

Tue 9th June - Leading Toxico-Pathologist Says No Filtering on Incinerators for Unregulated Deadly Nanoparticles. Prof C Vyvyan challenges incinerator risk study. Read more.

Mon 8th June - Oral Hearing resumes at Cork International Airport Hotel. CHASE Chairperson Says Incinerator Wrong On Every Level. David Stanton, TD, Outlines Government Policy Changes. Read more.

Thurs 14th May - Hydrogeological Expert Says Site On Most Vulnerable Coast In Ireland - Coastal Erosion Will Eventually Undermine Incinerator Structure - Office Of Public Works Confirm Site Vulnerability. Read more.

Wed 13th May - Cork Auctioneer says Incinerator development will effect property prices. Read more.

Tue 12th May - Dutch Paediatrician Warns Of Dioxin Damage At Low Doses - Top UCC Professor Speaks Out for People of Cobh - Midwives Warn of Danger to Breast Fed Babies. Read more.

Mon 11th May - City and Council Engineers concur that there is no need for proposed incinerators at Ringaskiddy. Both Councils are on target to meet landfill diversion targets without recourse to incineration. Read more.

Dept. Circular Confirms Move Away from Incineration
Department of Environment circular to all planning authorities makes it clear that mechanical and biological treatments, not incineration, are to be the cornerstones of national waste policy in the future. Read more.

Does Ireland need to build incinerators?
"The conclusion that Community waste legislation obliges or will oblige Member States to build incinerators is, however, incorrect, and appears to be a misinterpretation of the obligations to properly manage the Irish waste." - EU Commission Q&A. Read more.

Department warns Bord of Incinerator Risks
Department of Environment has lodged a submission to An Bord Pleanála outlining potential risks to human, plant and animal life from proposed incinerators in Cork Harbour. Read more.

Cork Co. Council Urges Rejection of Incinerators
CORK County Council is to urge An Bord Pleanála to reject Indaver’s plans to build incinerators in Ringaskiddy. Council officials have drafted a negative report on Indaver’s proposals, which will be given to the board on February 16. Read more.

INDAVER ARE BACK
iNDAVER Ireland has lodged an application for TWO new incinerators in Cork Harbour - their original permission for ONE incinerator having recently expired.

See CHASE submission to An Bord Pleanala re planning application. Also see call for submissions.

Dr. Dominic Hogg addresses EPA Conference
Sept. '07 - CHASE welcomes this initiative and hopes it marks the beginning of a process to look seriously at Ireland’s waste management requirements for the next 20 years. Read more

Alternatives to incineration ARE available
April '07 - Report by Dr. Dominic Hogg (for Greenstar) claims that State has failed to consider alternatives to incineration. Read more

OTHER NEWS
Energy from Waste - the Myths Debunked
Haulbowline Island Toxic waste health issues website and blog
corkharbour.ie -Integrated Information Resource for Cork Harbour