asked the Minister for the Environment if he has sponsored or received a study or a proposal in regard to the provision of an incinerator for toxic waste from industry; whether this is an urgent issue in view of the reluctance of other states to accept transborder transfers of toxic waste; if substantial amounts of toxic waste generated in Ireland are currently being disposed of in other countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Hazardous Waste Disposal.
42.
The need for and commercial viability of contract incineration facilities in this country is the subject of a feasibility study which I commissioned in July last. The study is due to be completed and reported in a matter of weeks.
In January of this year, I announced that earlier proposals to provide a central waste facility at Baldonnel were being abandoned. Instead, I introduced a scheme of capital grants to encourage private sector interests operating in the hazardous waste disposal field to develop and extend their range of services to a level at which they can cater more satisfactorily for the treatment, recovery and disposal of hazardous waste arising in this country. I made it clear at the time that the grant scheme did not apply to incineration facilities because I felt that a special in-depth study was first needed to establish the range and extent of the hazardous wastes arising in this country which would be likely to avail of a contract incineration facility and to evaluate the likely future demand of new industry for contract incineration.
While national waste policy is directed towards achieving the maximum degree of self-sufficiency in hazardous waste disposal, I should point out that considerably less than one third of the hazardous wastes produced here are now being exported for disposal. Most of these exports go to the United Kingdom but small quantities are shipped to France and Finland. While there is a movement of opinion at international level towards the view that the transfrontier movement of hazardous wastes should be minimised, there is nothing to suggest that the export outlets available at present are unlikely to be available in the short or medium term. In this connection, I should add that new regulations to control the export of hazardous wastes to EC member states and other states will come into operation on 1 November next.