Celtic Waste, the private waste disposal company seeking to operate a landfill on a 135-hectare site near Navan, Co Meath has expressed its interest in accepting non-hazardous ash from an incinerator. Indaver Ireland wishes to locate the incinerator near Duleek, about 10 miles from the landfill.
This information was given to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) yesterday at the start of its oral hearing into objections to its proposal to grant Celtic Waste a licence to operate the landfill at Knockharley, Kentstown, eight miles from Navan and close to the N2.
Its opponents have labelled the landfill a "superdump" and nine objectors are represented at the hearing.
The first objector was Mr Fergal O'Byrne, a Green Party candidate in the last general election.
He said that yesterday morning he had received details from An Bord Pleanála that Celtic Waste had indicated it was prepared to accept up to 30,000 tonnes of bottom ash or incinerator waste a year.
This is residual ash formed following the incineration process and Indaver Ireland had been asked for information on how it would be disposed of by An Bord Pleanála.
If licensed, Celtic Waste will only be able to accept non-hazardous waste.
Mr O'Byrne argued that the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) furnished by Celtic Waste did not include the ash.
He claimed the EIS "is flawed as it does not cater for the environmental impact of ash from an incinerator".
Mr O'Byrne's effort to have the hearing adjourned until a revised EIS was furnished, was rejected by the chairman, Mr Dara Lynott, who is a senior inspector with the EPA.
However, Mr Lynott did insist that Celtic Waste make a submission, or have appropriate experts to answer detailed questions, including those from Mr O'Byrne, on how the company can meet requirements under national policy on waste and under the European Union's directive on landfill.
In its opening presentation, Celtic Waste promised it would operate the landfill in compliance with the licence and planning permission.
Celtic Waste had sought permission to accept up to 180,000 tonnes of waste a year at the site
However, this was restricted by Meath County Council to 80,000 tonnes. Following an appeal, An Bord Pleanála had increased this to 132,000 tonnes.
The implication of the restrictions on tonnage is that it would lengthen the life-span of the landfill from 14 years to possibly up to 30 years, Mr Gabriel Denison, director of Celtic Waste, said.
In reply to the chairman Mr Lynott's questions on the company's commitment that all waste accepted would be treated, Mr Denison said that if that was a requirement of the licence it is seeking from the EPA, then it would seek to comply with it in full.
Mr Denison also referred to a proposal by Celtic Waste to create what would be Ireland's first bio-treatment plant near the Dublin/Meath border. He said it was planned for an 11-acre site owned by the company and is still in the planning stages.
The oral hearing is expected to last until tomorrow, after which Mr Lynott will report to the board of the EPA.
In August, An Bord Pleanála upheld the decision by Meath County Council in July 2001 to grant planning permission to Celtic Waste to operate the landfill.
Both the local authority and An Bord Pleanála made it a condition that only waste from the north-east counties of Meath, Louth, Cavan and Monaghan could be accepted.