Objectors to Nobber plant prepare for battle once again

A very large crowd attended a meeting organised by the North-East Against Incineration group in Nobber Community Hall last Thursday night. The event was designed to encourage people in the area to make submissions to Bord Pleanala by 2nd July to oppose the planning application by College Proteins for an incinerator at College Road, Nobber. North East Against Incineration (NEAI) members, chairman Christy O"Reilly, secretary Johnny Keogan and Larry McEntee, addressed the meeting and highlighted their concerns surrounding the proposed development. They appealed to the attendance to make submissions and highlight their concerns regarding the proposed development which, they contend, will be detrimental to Nobber and the surrounding areas in terms of health and environmental factors. Attendees at the meeting addressed their concerns in a question and answer session. Christy O"Reilly contested the need, as outlined by College Proteins, for the incinerator. North-East Against Incineration argues that there will not be the volume of meat and bonemeal available to the company to sustain the proposed development on a long-term basis. NEAI argues this point on the basis that there has been a reduction in the number of cases of BSE in recent years and contends that, following from that reduced number of cases, the testing age of animals for BSE has increased from 30 months to 48 months. NEAI believes these factors will result in less Category 1 Meat and Bonemeal (MBM) material becoming available for incineration. Submissions have to be in by Thursday 2nd July. NEAI will meet again in Nobber Hall tomorrow (Thursday) at 9pm to prepare submissions. College Proteins" says: 'MBM is an indigenous, renewable, carbon-neutral fuel. At present, the majority of Ireland"s output of MBM is exported to mainland Europe where it is used in the power generation and cement industries.' The company adds that it is seeking permission to build a biomass combined heat and power (CHP) plant at its existing facility. The company says 'this new plant would produce eight mega watts (mW) of electricity - 2mW of which would be used for College"s own operations and the balance would be exported to the country"s national electricity grid. 'That represents the electricity demand of about 4,000 homes,' says College Proteins. The company added: 'The CHP project is fully in line with the Government"s energy policy objectives of increasing Ireland"s renewable energy capacity, and reducing our dependence on imported fossil fuels, which are also responsible for environmentally damaging carbon emissions. 'If permission is secured for the new operation, an additional 18 permanent jobs will be created, while up to 100 people will be employed during the two-year construction period.'