Controversial incinerator to open next year as planned: Indaver

The country's first municipal waste incinerator at Carranstown, Duleek, will open next year as planned and is unlikley to be affected by the Environment Minister's proposal to set a cap of 30 per cent on the incineration of municipal waste, according to John Ahern of Indaver, the company developing the facility. "It is timely that the Government re-evaluates existing waste policy. Minister Gormley has published proposals and we welcome his decision to consult widely," he said. "Indaver has always stated that what we will open next year in Carranstown as part of the solution to north-east's waste infrastructure needs, working alongside recycling and other environmentally sustainable options. Indeed, the minister himself has stated that thermal treatment is part of the solution," said Mr Ahern. Mr Ahern said the concept of capping the amount of waste being incinerated nationally makes sense, and the job now is to get the quantity right and the size of facilities right. "To this end, Indaver welcomes the reopening of the consultation on an incineration cap." The Indaver boss reminded people of the company's ongoing recruitment campaign for its Carranstown facility. "We are actively recruiting at present for approximately 50 positions at our new Meath facility. Our target is to have all positions filled and people on site by February next. We will be advertising positions in the Meath Chronicle and further details can be found on our website www.indaver.ie," he said. The minister recently opened consultations on a proposed cap to incineration of 30 per cent of municipal waste. The controversial incinerator near Duleek is currently taking shape with up to 300 workers working on-site. The incinerator is expected to start accepting waste in May 2011 with test commissioning due to take place the previous February. The development at Carranstown represents the largest ever single investment in solid waste management infrastructure in Ireland. But it is a development which has been bitterly opposed in a 10-year battle by the local community with more than 4,000 individual objections to the original planning application and a petition against the plan signed by 27,000 people.