Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 5 Oct 2000

Vol. 523 No. 3

Written Answers. - Environmental Policy.

Liam Lawlor

Question:

100 Mr. Lawlor asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he is in receipt of the report by the United States environmental protection agency which may indicate that carcinogenic dioxins produced by incinerators may be significantly more hazardous to human health than previously believed; and his views on these matters and on the reported speech - details supplied - of a visiting German professor and expert on toxicology who, inter alia, referred to dioxin emissions from the recycling of certain waste products, notably aluminium cans. [20982/00]

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. D. Wallace)

I refer to the reply to Question No. 20 of 29 June 2000. My Department has had access to the USEPA consultation document which was published for scientific peer review, and will monitor the outcome of this work.

I am aware of the press report referred to and note the comments attributed to the toxicologist concerned. It is known that many thermal processes, including steel works and non-ferrous metal recovery, can contribute to dioxin emissions to the environment.