October 29 2009 by Paul
Greens pledge to fight major incinerator plan in South West Dublin
The Green Party has pledged to oppose plans for a large scale ‘thermal treatment’ facility by Energy Answers International in Rathcoole in South West Dublin.
Speaking before an oral hearing by An Bord Pleanala on the matter today, local Councillor Dorothy Corrigan and her constituency colleague Paul Gogarty TD pledged to fight against the plan. A submission team has been assembled before the hearing to build on the detailed case against the incinerator put forward in the Party’s detailed 83-page submission.
“The last thing this country needs is another incinerator,” said Cllr Dorothy Corrigan. “This proposed facility overlooks some of the densest-populated and fastest-growing parts of Dublin, including Rathcoole, City West, Clondalkin and Tallaght. The health risks of incineration are well documented, but this facility will also impact on traffic and will damage plans to increase the level of waste being re-used and recycled. In addition it Government policy is now moving away from incineration, which is more reason why this facility does not make sense.”
“Our submission includes a letter from the Minister for the Environment John Gormley and a Statement of Strategy from his Department which outlines how Government policy has changed,” said Paul Gogarty TD. “While the Minister is precluded from getting directly involved in the planning process, we are delighted that he was able to respond to our general queries about waste strategy and we believe that this will be helpful in the fight against this unwanted application.”
