It’s Not Over: As the State says Yes to Incineration, Communities Say No!

cork | environment | news report

Friday November 25, 2005 23:30

by Terry - 1 of IMC

room101ucg at yahoo dot co dot uk

Brief report, and some photos, on the struggle around incineration in Ringaskiddy, Co.Cork.

The sign on the way into the 'right of way' through the proposed incinerator site (just like the Rossport compound or the East Galway superdump building site!)

As the Environmental “Protection” Agency (EPA) today gave the go ahead to Indaver to build incineration facilities in Ringaskiddy, Co.Cork, and Duleek, Co.Meath, Mary O’Leary, chairperson of Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment (aka CHASE) said “It’s not over”. She went on to comment that “It is no surprise that the EPA have granted licenses as the former project manager of both incinerators, in Ringaskiddy and in Duleek, is now a director of the EPA”.

Should this plan reach bear fruit these will be the first public waste incinerators in Ireland.

This article is a brief synopsis of the immediate health and safety issues in particular regard to Ringaskiddy, where Indaver plan to build two incinerators.

Location:

The area is heavily populated, with the housing estates of Ringaskiddy itself, and the site is near to Cobh and Monkstown, one hundred metres away from a college, and next to Spike island which McDowell wants to re-open as a super-prison. The proposed incinerator site is also very close to many large workplaces.

In the event of accident Ringaskiddy is a peninsula with one road out, while Cobh, population 10,000, is an island joined to the mainland only by one narrow bridge.

Moreover the site is subject to flooding and coastal erosion, and, being in a valley, subject to a process called ‘thermal inversion’ whereby cold air forms a cap over a valley trapping air, and hence emissions, within the valley.

Emissions:

Emissions from incinerators include PCBs and Dioxins, which can have severe effects on health, particularly on children.
These health effects include cancer, and impairment of the immune, hormonal and reproductive systems.
Such pollutants have also been known to induce congenital abnormalities in foetuses.

The proposed site for the incinerators, with Spike island in the background

The view from the site - the carpark of one of the nearby major workplaces

The sea shore beside the site; the site has been subject to flooding

One of the saplings planted on the February 2005 Tree Walk, where twenty people walked from Drumcollegher, Co.Limerick, to plant trees on the site of the proposed incinerators