Today (January 13) the Irish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has, subject to a 28 day public consultation, approved a revised license for the planned plant in Carranstown, Duleek, County Meath.

The changed licence, issued to Indaver Ireland, for the incinerator will raise the annual tonnage limit by 50,000 to 200,000 of non-hazardous waste for the yet to be built site.

The decision comes just after the Government created legislation to start a levy on incineration operations.

A spokesman for the EPA said: “Consistent with existing incinerator licences in Ireland, the proposed decision has stringent conditions attached for the management, operation, control and monitoring of the proposed facility.

“The EPA is satisfied that operation of the facility, in accordance with the conditions of the licence, will not endanger human health or harm the environment in the vicinity of the facility or over a wider area.”

Conditions imposed on the running of the site include:

·5-stage abatement of waste gases to protect the surrounding environment;

·stringent management, monitoring and reporting requirements.

·shut down of the incineration plant in the event of a breakdown.

·dioxin limit in air emissions of 0.1 nanograms per cubic metre (0.0000000001 grams per cubic metre).

·limits on heavy metals and acidifying gases in line with the Waste Incineration Directive.

·requirement that any municipal waste burned at the facility is restricted to material remaining after reusable and recyclable materials have, in so far as is practicable, been removed.

The spokesman added: “As this is the first step in a statutory licensing process, the EPA is not in a position to comment on the specifics of the facility for which the proposed decision has been issued.”

More information can be found on the EPA’s website on www.epa.ie.

Luke Walsh

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