Indaver Ireland has been granted permission by An Bord Pleanála to expand its controversial municipal waste incinerator at Carranstown, Co Meath, to burn up to 200,000 tonnes of waste a year.
In addition to the expansion from the current capacity of 150,000 tonnes, the planning authority is allowing Indaver to accept waste from outside the northeast region, which could result in waste from Dublin being transported to Meath for burning.
Dublin City Council said last night that it did not intend to send any waste to the facility.
However, the council is hoping to secure permission for its own waste incinerator at Poolbeg in Dublin.
An Bord Pleanála is due to deliver its decision on the Poolbeg plant at the end of this month. Failure to secure permission will force the council to reassess waste management options for the entire Dublin region.
While the decision on Poolbeg will be made independently by An Bord Pleanála and not by the Government, Minister for the Environment John Gormley has said in recent days that the State needs only two municipal waste incinerators.
The board's decision to allow the expansion of Carranstown is likely to add to the concern of residents in Meath and in Cork, where permission has already been granted for incinerators, that they will be left to bear the burden of the State's waste.
A spokesman for Mr Gormley said he was precluded from commenting on the impending Poolbeg decision and it would be "inappropriate" for him to comment in relation to Carranstown.
The permission from An Bord Pleanála for the plant near Duleek, is subject to 30 conditions.
Most of these relate to environmental protections which must be put in place by Indaver, but it is condition number three which will allow Indaver to expand its catchment area.
This condition states that the waste processed at the facility should primarily be produced in the northeast region of Meath, Louth, Cavan and Monaghan. However, the board states that under the "Proximity Principal" waste can also be collected from neighbouring areas.
The board has not been prescriptive in what constitutes a neighbouring area and its spokesman said last night, that it would be up to Meath County Council to police any deals Indaver might make with other local authorities or private companies.
Any complaints that Indaver was abusing the "Proximity Principal" should also be made to the local authority the spokesman said. This principal was given force by a ministerial guideline introduced by the previous minister for the environment Dick Roche in May 2005.
Permission to build the Carranstown plant, the State's first municipal waste incinerator, was granted by Meath County Council in July 2001.
This was appealed to An Bord Pleanála by parties who did not want the incinerator to go ahead, and by Indaver who wanted the capacity increased. However, the board upheld the council's decision in March 2003.
The original facility was subject to court challenges from anti-incineration groups and did not finally secure a waste licence from the Environmental Protection Agency until November 2005.
Indaver soon after lodged plans for the plant's expansion with Meath County Council. The council granted permission in August 2006.
This was again subject to a court challenge, which was defeated earlier this year.
