INCINERATOR WASTE LICENCE ONLY START OF PROCESS
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Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment (CHASE) are surprised at the timing of the EPA announcement that a Draft Operating Licence for the 100,000 tonne hazardous waste incinerator at Ringaskiddy, Co Cork, and would like to stress that a consultation process must be completed before a full license is issued.

Planning permission for the incinerator is subject to a high court challenge, the application for which commences hearing today.

Let us be under no illusion about the EPA. The EPA has never refused an operating licence to a company with planning permission. The EPA modifies licence applications so that a company can commence operation.

The EPA nailed its flag clearly to the wall when it appointed Mary Kelly (formerly of IBEC and favouring incineration) as its Director, and more recently appointed Laura Burke, former Indaver employee, as a director.

We intend to exercise our right to ask for an oral hearing on the Draft Operating Licence, but more iimportantly will exhaust every possible means of stopping this incinerator from being built.

This incinerator, which attracted over 30,000 planning objections :

• Is Contrary to Cork County Development Plan
• Is Contrary to Cork Area Strategic Plan
• Is below the standard recommended by the Basle Convention for disposing of solid hazardous waste.
• Was rejected by Cork County Council
• Was recommended for rejection by An Bord Pleanalas Senior Planning Insepctor on an unprecedented 14 grounds.

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For further information contact:
Linda FitzPatrick, CHASE PRO Tel: 021 4374506 Mobile: 087 7410849
Mary O’Leary, Chairperson, CHASE Tel: 021 4811952 Mobile: 086 8177737