Landfill firm applies to treble refuse tonnage

A shock announcement by landfill company Greenstar that it wants to treble refuse tonnage accepted at its huge landfill at Knockharley, Kentstown, has been greeted with dismay by local residents and elected representatives. Greenstar revealed this week that it planned to lodge a planning application to An Bord Pleanala to increase the tonnage levels permitted at the Knockharley dump to 400,000 tonnes a year. The application is to be made under the Strategic Infrastructure Act which is designed to fast-track planning applications and bypass county council planners. The Knockharley facility currently has planning permission to accept 132,000 tonnes per annum and an EPA waste licence to accept a maximum 200,000 tonnes per annum. If granted permission, Greenstar said this week, the increase in yearly tonnage to 400,000 would not alter the total amount of waste the facility could receive over its lifetime nor require any expansion of the facility. Instead, it would mean that the landfill void would reach its maximum limit earlier and therefore close earlier, the company maintained. The chairman of the Knockharley and District Residents" Association, Paddy Lawlor, reacted with shock to the announcement of the company"s plan. The principal of Kentstown National School, Maura Beggy, said that this increased level of waste tonnage 'should not even be considered by An Bord Pleanala' and Navan Area Meath County Councillor, Joe Reilly, a member of the liaison committee for the facility, was 'outraged' at the move which Greenstar proposes to make. Greenstar, in a statement, said it had given residents advance notice of its intentions and asked them to submit any comments they might have prior to the lodging of its application with An Bord Pleanála in the near future, so that local views could be taken into account. 'Residents will have further opportunities to submit comments and view the plans once the planning process commences,' said Greenstar. However, Mr Lawlor said he had heard nothing about this new increased tonnage level until yesterday (Tuesday) when he received a letter from Greenstar. 'My reaction is complete shock and surprise,' he said. The letter was the first he had heard about the proposal, he maintained. Mrs Beggy said that the school authorities had been very concerned about the management of the landfill working at its present capacity. These concerns centred on health and safety of children and teachers at Kentstown NS. Cllr Reilly was angry that Greenstar was attempting to use the Strategic Infrastructural Development Scheme (SIDS) legislation to bypass the local, democratic consultative procedures and go straight to An Bord Pleanala with its proposal, he said. Green Party member and long-term Knockharley landfill objector, Fergal O"Byrne, said the plan to increase tonnage going to landfill at Knockharley was completely at variance with Government policy. 'Ireland already has too much waste going to landfill,' said Mr. O"Byrne. Increasing landfill dumping capacity, rather than reducing it, was not acceptable. He added that European Landfill Directive policy was that Ireland must bring in very strict reductions on landfill in 2010. Advocating the move, Greenstar said that, in addition to earlier closure of the facility, the Community Resource Fund would benefit by receiving additional monies in line with the increased tonnage amount over the shorter life of the landfill. Greenstar pays €1.89 into the fund for every tonne of waste that enters the site and in 2005, 2006 and 2007, paid €250,000 into the fund each year, said the company. To date, €250,000 has already been allocated to local community organisations and projects. A further €500,000 has been paid into the fund for which applications have been received and are under consideration. Should permission for the increased intake be granted, the fund would receive up to €750,000 each year, said Greenstar. The Community Development Fund is administered by Meath County Council. The fund accepts applications from local community groups and organisations and funds community, recreational and amenity, sporting, local heritage and environmental projects in the local area. Greenstar said that, to date, money had been allocated to Kentstown Parish Support Group, Balrath Woods Preservation Group, Kentstown and Senschalstown Accordion Band, Kentstown Rovers AFC, Senschalstown GFC, Yellow Furze National School, Kentstown National School, Churchfields Residents" Committee and Beauparc Active Retirement Group. The company"s statement also referred to the 'environmental and operational benefits of increasing the yearly tonnage'. These included increased efficiencies in management of landfill gas and earlier restoration of the landfill void to its original condition. Greenstar is currently preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which will be available for public viewing along with other relevant documents once the planning application is made to An Bord Pleanála in the near future, said the company. These will be available at the offices of Meath County Council. In addition, the planning application will be made available for inspection on a dedicated website and the waste licence application will be available for inspection on the EPA"s website.