The €100 million incinerator proposed for Carranstown, Co Meath, would undermine the regional waste-management plan for the northeast, Green Party leader Trevor Sargent has told a Bord Pleanála hearing in Drogheda.
Mr Sargent was one of a number of politicians, including Meath councillor Dominic Hannigan and Louth councillor Gerald Nash, who gave evidence for opponents of the project, No Incineration Alliance and Louth People Against Incineration.
Mr Sargent said an incinerator would undermine the principle of regional self-reliance on waste-management facilities and would ignore the need to reduce levels of waste. "This is understandable as incinerators require more rather than less waste," he said.
He also maintained the proposals put forward by Indaver Ireland for a 200,000-tonne capacity waste-to-energy plant "would become a major greenhouse gas emitter if permission is granted". The plant would damage the marketability of local food "and would destroy any prospect of reaching the ultimate goal of zero waste".
Mr Hannigan said locating an incinerator above a regionally important aquifer would threaten water supplies to centres of population along the east coast. He was "deeply concerned" about a local health authority warning that the aquifer was susceptible to ground-water pollution. In the event of a fire or explosion, he said, the aquifer could be polluted by waste, waste waters or ash.
An assertion from Mr Nash that Meath County Council had not consulted Louth county or Drogheda town councils was rejected by John Gallagher SC for Meath County Council. Mr Gallagher said his instructions were that written invitations to comment on the incinerator project had been sent to both councils, but no reply had been received from either body.
Earlier, at the start of yesterday's hearings, an application from the No Incineration Alliance and the Meath People Against Incineration to adjourn was deferred by planning inspector Mary Cunneen. Spokesman for Louth People Against Incineration Ollan Herr had asked for the adjournment because a key witness, Prof Vyvyan Howard of the centre of molecular bioscience at the University of Ulster, was unable to attend due to illness. He could be available on April 2nd and 3rd.
Mr Herr also said a further adjournment after April might be required until such a time as the State's implementation plan for the Stockholm Convention on the reduction and possible elimination of dioxins and furans was published.
Ms Cunneen said the application raised many practical issues of the availability of experts for cross-examination and no arrangement had been made to extend the oral hearing beyond this week's current schedule.
There was also the question of whether the Government's proposals for the implementation of the Stockholm Convention would be available in the six-week timeframe for her report to An Bord Pleanála.
In the circumstances she intended to go ahead with the hearing during which Prof Howard's evidence might be read into the record.
In deferring the matter to the board, Ms Cunneen assured Mr Herr it would not close the inquiry until it was satisfied it had all the relevant information it required. The oral hearing is expected to conclude today.