Community groups unite to oppose Dempsey waste Bill

Community groups from 19 counties have united to condemn what they see as an attempt by the Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey, to undermine the democratic process.

At a press conference in Dublin yesterday, they said the purpose of his Waste Management Amendment Bill, about to be introduced in the Dail, was to reverse decisions taken by councillors against incinerators and "superdumps".

The Bill, which has cleared the Seanad, would strip councillors of their reserved powers to make waste management plans and transfer this responsibility to city or county managers in the interests of tackling the problem on a regional basis, it was claimed.

Under the proposed legislation, which was introduced following the refusal of some local authorities to adopt regional waste management plans, city or county managers would have the power to rescind decisions made by elected representatives.

The "most radical and undemocratic part of the Bill", according to the coalition of community groups, is Section 4. This would allow managers to override city or county development plans to grant planning permission for any type of waste management project.

They said this provision could be applied without due process to all categories of waste management, including incinerators, landfill sites, hazardous waste treatment plants, composting or recycling facilities and even the operations of private waste contractors. The section would "remove from the councillors their prime policy-making function in relation to planning and development and threatens all community and residents' associations that might at any stage have concerns about inappropriate development".

Dr Michael Prendergast, chairman of the Co Wexford-based Research and Information Group, said the Bill "goes against Noel Dempsey's stated policy for local democracy" and, in particular, his view that its regeneration should mean an enhanced role for councillors.

"This is not simply a `waste management issue', but instead is about how we make decisions at local government level and what value the Government puts on listening to the voices of people at community level," Dr Prendergast said.

Opponents of the Waste Management Amendment Bill see it as an attempt to "foist" high-tech solutions such as waste incinerators on local communities when, they say, the Government should be giving priority to waste reduction and recycling.

After yesterday's press conference, which was co-ordinated by Earthwatch, representatives of the community groups congregated outside Leinster House beside a truck carrying a billboard which read: "Please Mr Dempsey, No Incinerators Here."