Seán Barrett
Question:1 Mr. Barrett asked the Minister for the Environment the plans, if any, he has to deal with the disposal of hazardous waste in view of his recent announcement that a national incinerator would not be proceeded with. [2403/94]
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Hazardous Waste Disposal.
Proinsias De Rossa
Question:26 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for the Environment in view of the decision not to proceed with a national waste incinerator, if he will give details of his strategy for dealing with the reduction, refuse and recycling of domestic refuse and for the promotion of clean production methods, thus reducing levels of industrial effluent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2307/94]
Mary Harney
Question:55 Miss Harney asked the Minister for the Environment the financial cost to his Department of the feasibility work done on the provision for a national toxic waste incinerator: the plans, if any, he has to dispose of dangerous waste; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2343/94]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1, 26 and 55 together.
I have recently indicated that Government assistance will not be made available for the provision of a contract facility for the incineration of hazardous waste. This decision was based on a review of all the factors connected with this matter. The main considerations were as follows: clean technology and waste minimisation policies have been gaining ground in Irish industry, with some 54 per cent of hazardous wastes now being recovered or recycled; this trend will be further reinforced by Environmental Protection Agency licensing and by intensified measures to be introduced under the operational programme for environmental services which will be published shortly; there is already considerable on-site capacity in Ireland for incinerable wastes and some 70 per cent of wastes destined for incineration are now disposed of in Ireland at facilities to which new Environmental Protection Agency licences will shortly apply; the residual hazardous waste available in Ireland for a contract incinerator would be too small at present to support the commercial operation of such a plant; under the waste Bill to be introduced in November, the Environmental Protection Agency will be required to produce a national hazardous waste management plan; I consider that specific proposals to provide grant assistance for new infrastructure to deal with hazardous waste should await the making of this plan and should be concentrated on waste recovery options; some £10 million of expenditure cofinanced by the Structural Funds will be available for this purpose.
I am also satisfied, taking account of the above considerations, that the continued possibility of exporting certain quantities of hazardous waste for which there are no suitable treatment facilities in Ireland is reasonably guaranteed by the EU Regulation on Transshipment of Wastes.
Two consultancy studies were carried out on behalf of my Department between 1988 and 1990 in relation to the feasibility of a contract hazardous waste incinerator. The combined cost of these studies was some £94,000.
I welcome the decision not to proceed with a national incinerator but I am deeply concerned that we do not have a policy in relation to the disposal of hazardous toxic waste. Will the Minister give a guarantee that the 19,000 tonnes of exported hazardous waste will not find its way to third countries? Trocaire, Amnesty International and Greenpeace are concerned that large quantities of toxic waste is finding its way to third countries who are being bought off because of the poor state of their economy. Will the Minister agree that if we are trying to protect the environment sending toxic waste to third countries, who do not have proper disposal facilities, is doing nothing to solve the problem?
I reject the contention by Deputy Barrett that we do not have a hazardous waste policy. He will be aware that there is a number of significant aspects to that policy: Waste minimisation, waste reduction, introduction of clean technologies and the safe disposal of hazardous waste on site or by export. We do not and have not exported hazardous waste to Third World countries. Hazardous waste, in the main, is exported to the UK and a little to France and Finland. I agree fundamentally with the principle of what Deputy Barrett said that the continued export of hazardous waste to third countries is most undesirable. As the House will be aware the European Union earlier this year banned the export of toxic or hazardous waste from EU countries to any third country. That is being put in place.
The Minister said he was reasonably satisfied that the export market will continue to be available. What would happen if it was not? There is an absence of a proper plan. It is all very well to say we can dump our waste in some other country but if in future they decide they do not want to take our hazardous waste what will happen? To what part of Britain do we export our hazardous waste?
The waste is exported to Wales.
To Sellafield?
I am reasonably satisfied that we can maintain that option of export. As Deputy Barrett is aware that option was in doubt about a year and a half ago because the EU principle of proximity — that is, dealing with safe disposal of waste as close as possible to where it is generated — presented some problems for us. Under the EU Directive on Transshipment of Waste we have been able to continue to export. The amounts of waste for incinerable purposes would not be enough to enable us to have a contract facility. There are insurance problems which we are trying to sort out in relation to exports but I am happy that these can be overcome and that we can continue to have that facility.
Will the Minister assure the House that we do not export hazardous waste to Sellafield in view of the fact that we are campaigning to have this extremely dangerous plant closed because of its proximity to Ireland and the serious damage that could result for this country in the event of a disaster?
The Deputy is raising a very special matter. It is quite an extension of the question.
Deputy Barrett's question presents a certain problem for me. I have been enabled to make the statement in relation to not having a contract incinerator or not providing State funds for a contract incinerator by virtue of the fact that we have a derogation to export hazardous waste to the UK. I do not want to go further than that at this stage.