Allowing Kilcock incinerator would be a failure to preserve amenities, hearing told

To allow a hazardous waste incinerator to be built in north Kildare would amount to an "abject failure to preserve the amenities of the area", Kildare County Council has told a planning hearing.

In a closing submission yesterday, Mr Tony Osborne, for the council, said the location proposed by Thermal Waste Management Ireland (TWM) was not suitable to the extent that Bord Pleanala was in a position to refuse it permission on planning grounds alone - without consideration of environmental issues.

It may be shown such a facility was needed nationally, but that could only be considered after a debate had taken place on the proposed national hazardous waste management plan drawn up by the Environmental Protection Agency - TWM is appealing the council's refusal of permission for the £65 million facility.

Mr Osborne questioned the appropriateness of plans to send such large volumes of hazardous waste by road and rail, particularly from Co Cork, to Kilcock.

The existing road network in the area was inadequate and significant doubts remained over fire safety arrangements for the development and the ability to generate sufficient water for its operation.

Mr Barry White, for North Kildare-South Meath Alliance Against Incineration, said the developers had chosen to ignore the people of Kilcock and its surrounds, despite public acceptance and participation being regarded as basic elements of an incinerator site selection process under the draft terms of the Basle Convention. TWM had also "ignored the interests of bloodstock industry and its importance to Ireland, Kildare and Kilcock".

He cited the report of Kildare planning official Mr Philip Jones, who concluded an environmental impact statement had so many shortcomings there was no need to seek further information as there was "a clear case for refusal". Site and newspaper notices should have indicated a hazard waste incinerator was involved and this, he said, was sufficient to make the application invalid.

The evidence, Mr White added, suggested the developers had a "perhaps cavalier attitude" in not considering a worst case scenario in the event of a fire on the site at Boycetown.

Town planner Mr Michael O'Neill, on behalf of Patrick and Eilish O'Brien of Boycetown House, whose property adjoins the site, said TWM were proposing a "very dangerous" form of industry which could have catastrophic consequence should anything go wrong. "The applicants have shown no sense of understanding of what is required." He questioned whether TWM had submitted "a speculative application", given what he perceived to be their lack of credibility.

Mr Michael O'Donnell, for TWM, told the hearing in Maynooth it was unfair to suggest the facility's prime use would be incineration. What was proposed was a thermal waste treatment facility combined with material recovery, recycling and energy generation. Only 0.5 per cent of product would require disposal.

It fully complied with EU waste management provisions which had an emphasis on re-use and recycling.

Contrary to what opponents had submitted, Mr O'Donnell claimed the site did meet World Health Organisation guidelines.