It would be perverse to undermine national policies supporting the bloodstock industry by having a large incinerator in an important stud farm area, the hearing was told.
Mr Bernard Durkan, a local Fine Gael TD, said An Bord Pleanala should also note that Kildare County Council had found the site selected for hazardous waste processing "deeply flawed" due to its proximity to recreational and ecological amenities such as the Royal Canal; inadequate road and water infrastructure, and closeness to housing.
A proposal to use the rail network to transport waste would thwart efforts to expand and improve rail passenger services, he said. It was Fine Gael policy that incineration was acceptable with proven technology, but this proposal was "repugnant".
Mr Michael O'Donnell for Thermal Waste Management said: "So incineration is a good thing but not in your constituency?" Mr Durkan replied: "I'm not sure it would be such a good thing in your constituency."
An environmental impact statement on the proposed incinerator was found to be inadequate, notably on its visual impact and the plant's likely effect on nearby property, the Kildare senior planner, Mr Michael Kenny, said.
The Kildare development plan recognised the enormous tourism potential of the Royal Canal near the proposed site, while the waterways division of Duchas, the heritage service, had found the scale of the development was "not in keeping with the visual amenity of the canal corridor".
The county plan also acknowledged the importance of the bloodstock industry in the area. Asked if a hazardous waste incinerator was incompatible with a bloodstock industry, Mr Kenny said this related to its environmental impact, which would have to be determined by the Environmental Protection Agency. But, he added, a lot of the industry's concerns related to noise and emissions.
Architect Mr John Kelly said he had analysed TWM's plans on aspects of visual impact for North Kildare-South Meath Alliance Against Incineration and found "some gross errors", particularly with the screening proposed for the development. In addition, it was not clear what trees were to be removed or retained on the site.
