Letter to Irish Times - 26-11-09
Impact of Flooding

Madam, – We have all seen the devastation caused by flooding in the past week. Places that have never experienced flooding were totally submerged, such were the volumes of water that fell.

The site in Ringaskiddy, Co Cork, where Indaver Ireland has applied to build two incinerators is again seriously flooded.

Flooding at the site leaves the proposed hazardous waste storage area completely submerged. The World Health Organisation warns that hazardous incinerators should not be built on flood plains; Indaver’s site clearly fails this criterion. In addition to repeated flooding episodes, successive reports by the Office of Public Works and the Environmental Protection Agency have pinpointed the Ringaskiddy coastal area as vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and flooding.

At the recent planning oral hearing, hydrologist Shane Bennett and climatologist Prof John Sweeney left the hearing in no doubt of the site’s unsuitability.

Flooding in the proposed storage area could cause a major accident which would see the contamination of the harbour by toxic waste. Engineering solutions proposed will only worsen soakage in the surrounding areas, increasing risk to students in the Maritime College, and potentially cutting off access to the college and Haulbowline.

Events of the past week can leave us in no doubt that planning decisions must take into account the objective evidence and advice available from the experts.

The flooding has brought into sharp focus the need for brave planning decisions that are in the interest of the communities and society – not just private developers. We can’t afford any more mistakes. – Yours, etc,

MARY O’LEARY,
Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment (Chase),
Spy Hill,
Cobh,
Co.Cork

Click here for response from Indaver.