THE firm seeking a licence for an incinerator at Clarecastle, Co Clare, had not yet produced a comprehensive register of all emissions from the factory or a satisfactory waste rate reduction plan, a scientist with Greenpeace said yesterday.
Dr David Santillo of the University of Exeter was speaking at the second day of the Environmental Protection Agency's oral hearing on the proposed £12 million incinerator at the Roche (formerly Syntex) plant.
Dr Santillo said that in the absence of a real commitment to reducing toxic waste, the EPA was being extremely irresponsible in allowing an incinerator to be built. Incineration, he said, should not form part of a waste reduction programme. It removed the incentive to reduce waste, which must be the highest priority for the EPA in licensing the factory.
Dr Santillo said emissions from incinerators burning the type of toxic wastes produced by Syntex included one of the most toxic group of chemicals, the dioxins. Previously associated with cancer, they were now implicated as hormone disrupters and as such they could jeopardise the health of future generations, he said.
Green peace was adamant that the incinerator did not meet the aim of sustainable development as defined by Mr Liam McCumiskey, director-general of the EPA.
Mr Pat Murphy, of the Claret Alliance Against Incineration, who lived a mile and a half from the Syntex plant, said exhaustive research had uncovered nothing to allay their fears. Their understanding of the licence indicated that an on-site toxic dump was envisaged.
"We believe the incinerator will be fuelled by waste heavy fuel oil - in itself very toxic - mixed with waste solvents which will in turn produce chlorinated waste leading to dioxin and cancer formations," he said.
Syntex's record over the years, he said, did not inspire confidence.
The incinerator would put 70 per cent of the waste into the atmosphere as gases or suspended particulate. The area receiving the bulk of those emissions was already contaminated by Syntex's existing operation, and a variety of wind patterns would guarantee all-area dosage with fall-out within a radius of about 20 miles.
The whole chemical industry, Mr Murphy said, was awaiting a major new report by the US-EPA on dioxins. EU guidelines on toxic emissions were also being tightened, and "it may be that what Syntex can get away with today will be unacceptable next year", he said.
Mr Brian Meaney, of the Clare Green Party, said it was objecting to the absence of testing requirements in the draft licence.
The hearing continues today.