A waste management plan for the south-east that includes incineration was rejected yesterday by Waterford County Council.
Councillors decided by 11 votes to 10 not to adopt the controversial 20-year plan, which was drawn up last year by consultants for the South East Regional Authority.
The plan was also debated yesterday by members of Wexford County Council, who decided to defer a decision until next month. They had previously rejected incineration by 19 votes to one.
Councils throughout the region are voting on the plan at meetings this month, following a lengthy public consultation process. Even if councillors refuse to back it, however, it can still be implemented by county and city managers, acting on powers given to them under legislation passed last year.
All 10 Fianna Fáil councillors present at yesterday's meeting in Waterford voted in favour of the plan, but saw it defeated by a combination of Opposition party and Independent members.
A move by councillors in Wexford to adopt the plan with a provision that an incinerator would not be built in the county was rejected by the county manager, Mr Seamus Dooley. He told members they were obliged to accept or reject the regional strategy in full.
The meeting decided to defer a decision until next month in the hope that a study of the health implications of incineration, commissioned by the former minister for the environment, Mr Dempsey, earlier this year, would be completed by then.
No particular location for an incinerator is recommended in the 20-year strategy, drawn up by consultants Fehily Timoney & Co. Its proposals also include a three-bin collection service for all urban households by 2008.