Cork County Council yesterday reiterated its opposition to the €133 million development of hazardous and non-hazardous waste incinerators for Cork harbour even though the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granted Indaver Ireland waste management licences.
Councillors voted by 23 votes to 11 to support a motion from Sinn Féin councillor Martin Hallinan opposing the siting of a toxic incinerator at Ringaskiddy and calling on Minister for the Environment Dick Roche to change Government policy on incineration. Cllr Hallinan's motion was backed primarily by Fine Gael and Labour councillors.
Fianna Fáil members had sought to have the motion amended to opposition to the Ringaskiddy site only without reference to Government policy. They failed to get this change and so voted against the motion.
Cllr Paula Desmond of Labour, who backed the motion opposing incineration, said the draft waste management plans for counties Kerry, Clare and Limerick, all made reference to "taking account of thermal treatment development plans in neighbouring areas".
She said that Cork County Council should not in any way support any proposal for waste to be exported to any incinerators in the Cork area and she suggested that the Cork County Council should convey this view to the other local authorities.
Earlier Minister of State for the Environment Batt O'Keeffe had reiterated that while he fully supported Government policy on incineration, he had reservations about the suitability of the site.
Mr O'Keeffe expressed those reservations at an oral hearing of An Bord Pleanála in 2003 and yesterday said he hadn't changed his view even though the board and the EPA had given approval.