6th March 2003

PRESS RELEASE

GREENS CALL FOR ZERO WASTE STRATEGY TO REPLACE INCINERATION

Greens announce amendments to the upcoming  Protection of the Environment Bill 2003

Following the announcement this week by An Bord Pleanála to allow the construction of the country's first municipal waste incinerator at Carranstown, Duleek, County Meath and the plans by the Government to introduce the controversially titled ‘Protection of the Environment Bill 2003’ before the Dáil,  the Green Party today  unveiled its amendments to the controversial Government Bill and demanded that the coalition adopt a Zero Waste strategy.

The amendments include the following:

1.A target of zero waste by 2015;

2.A ban on incineration of municipal waste;

3.New incentives to reduce, re-use and recycle waste;

4.An increase in fines for illegal dumping;

5.Increased rights for members of the public to take action on illegal dumps; State to automatically pay costs of successful cases taken by third parties;

6.Right of appeal to An Bord Pleanála on Environmental Protection Agency decisions.

Green Party Environment spokesperson, Ciarán Cuffe TD, said today,   “Achieving zero waste is a very ambitious target.  However we believe in setting ourselves a bold objective. Almost anything in the waste stream can be recycled, if the will is there.  Currently the Environmental Protection Agency issues licences to pollute. We don't believe that this is an acceptable way of dealing with waste in the twenty-first century. Our tourism and agricultural industries and our children deserve better.”

"Some of the measures that we propose in the short term include the following:

- A refundable deposit on all beverage containers, and automatic bottle return machines at major shops;

-An obligation on all battery retailers to provide battery recycling on site;

-All shops obliged to take excess packaging at point of sale.”

Green Party Councillor Deirdre de Burca said,  “We see it as a long overdue opportunity to establish the concept of  “Zero Waste” in Irish environmental and waste legislation.   The Green Party is proposing that this Bill establishes a national target of waste stabilisation by 2010 and Zero Waste by 2020.  We are also proposing that every local authority in the country includes these targets within its waste management plan.”

“I know that people will say that a zero waste policy is not achievable.  However, if the National Safety Council aim towards achieving zero deaths on our roads then the Green Party see no reason why we cannot aim towards a zero waste policy in our communities.    This is a ‘whole system’ approach that aims for a massive change in the way materials flow through society.  It is both an ‘end of pipe’ solution which encourages waste diversion through recycling and resource recovery and a guiding design philosophy for eliminating waste at source and at all points down the supply chain.”

Green Party TD for Cork South Central, Dan Boyle, said that the “real fear that many in Ringaskiddy have is that the County Meath incinerator proposal is but a stalking horse for the far larger incinerator planned for Cork  and the far more lethal toxic waste materials that will be used there”.  “The main focus now for the Cork community whether the Bord Pleanála appeal process can be trusted and is acceptable. Many fighting the Ringaskiddy toxic waste incinerator fear it is not.”

MAIN AMENDMENTS FOR PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT BILL 2003

(1) If the Bill is enacted as proposed by the Government, unelected senior officials of local authorities will have the power to authorise the implementation of a policy of incineration without any consideration for the legitimate opposition of local communities.

The Green Party propose that waste management planning and review should remain a Reserve Function and that the elected members shall have “due regard” to the advice of the executive on all aspects of the plan. This would avoid a repeat of what happened with the incinerator at Carranstown, Co Meath.  The Louth County manager used his executive powers to approve the North East Waste Management Plan.  This includes thermal treatment for waste not sent to landfill or recycling, despite the fact that 4,500 individual objections were lodged and a petition objecting to the incinerator was signed by more than 26,000 people.

(2) The Green Party has proposed an amendment to the Bill whereby members of the public would be entitled to appeal a decision of the EPA concerning the granting or refusal of a licence application to an Bord Pleanala. At present the EPA makes a “proposed determination” in relation to a licence application and issues its response. Members of the public have one month to make an objection to the EPA’s decision and the Agency will then make its final decision. The Green Party believes that there should be an independent appeals mechanism available to the public in the same way that the public can appeal planning decisions of local authorities to an Bord Pleanala. Our amendment will involve extending the remit of the Board to allow it to adjudicate on environmental matters.

(3) We have strengthened the provisions of the Bill concerning public consultation procedures with regard to the licensing procedures. We have proposed a new provision where it would be an offence under this Act to allow a member of the public to take a case to the High Court with the guarantee that the State will cover the legal costs of the applicant because of the ‘ public interest’ nature of the case.

(4) We have proposed that the fines imposed on individuals guilty of an offence under this Act shall be anything up to €5 million on conviction or indictment and up to €100,000 on summary conviction.

(5) We have corrected those aspects of the Bill that appear to qualify or to weaken the BAT (Best Available Technology) principle that forms the technical basis of the new licensing system. Finally, we have proposed that the standard used to determine BAT should conform to best practice in other EU member states.

ENDS