Almost 50 visits to incinerator by EPA over past year

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) visited the Indaver incinerator near Duleek 48 times over the past year, a public hearing by an Bord Pleanala was told on Monday. None of the visits by the EPA found any problem at the plant which also received three visits by the Health and Safety Authority as well as audits by officials from Meath County Council and the HSE, the hearing into an application by Indaver Ireland for an expansion of the plant was told by Jane Hennessy, the company's communication manager. The company has applied for permission to increase the capacity of the plant from 200,000 tonnes annually to 220,000 tonnes per year. The company has also sought permission to accept some additional forms of hazardous and non-hazardous materials including waste from hospitals and other medical facilities such as bandages, incontinence pads, gloves, gowns and expired medicines. "The products deemed hazardous include items such as old paint tins, household detergents, make-up products like lipstick and mascara, face wipes and dishwasher tablets," said Ms Hennessy. The €140m waste-to-energy plant at Carranstown, just outside Duleek, began operating in September 2011.