Vol. 448 No. 3
119 Mr. E. Byrne asked the Minister for the Environment the number of waste disposal dumps, if any, established without an environmental impact assessment or environmental impact study first having been carried out; if he will give details of these dumps; and the date of their establishment. [2165/95]
With effect from 1 February 1990, the development of installations for disposal of industrial and domestic waste with an annual intake greater than 25,000 tonnes requires environmental impact assessment (EIA). Depending on the circumstances, EIA may fall to be carried out by the planning authority concerned and/or An Bord Pleanála, or by the Minister for the Environment.
As far as waste installations proper for EIA by the Minister for the Environment are concerned, I am not aware of any case in which development has taken place in contravention of the above requirements. In an EIA case now before my Department, the initial development of the landfill concerned took place some years ago; EIA is now being sought in prospect of a proposed expansion of this site which would increase its annual intake above the 25,000 tonnes limit.
