Vol. 135 No. 5
I have notice from Senator Farrelly that on the Motion on the Adjournment of the House today he proposes to raise the following matter: To ask the Minister for the Environment to outline the Government's policy on toxic waste disposal in Ireland.
I welcome the Minister, Deputy Browne, and wish him luck in his new appointment.
I would like to thank the Cathaoirleach for allowing me to raise this matter and to join with him in welcoming the Minister, Deputy Browne. I wish him well in his new position, but we hope that people will have an opportunity to give an opinion on what is happening.
The motion asks the Minister for the Environment to outline the Government's policy on toxic waste disposal in Ireland. I asked this question because I do not know of a policy on the disposal of toxic waste in this country. The Minister is aware that the only site to store toxic waste is located in the middle of rural farm land in County Meath. Since the planning application was granted in 1986 for the operation of a distillation plant on a site at Lobinstown a number of problems have arisen from spillages, work at the site and danger to health from storage. In consequence of these spillages, the council have issued a section 12 notice and asked for work to be discontinued on the site. However, there is still toxic waste on the site which is a danger to the health of the children in the community, if it is not handled properly. The local doctors have been treating children more often because of fumes and contamination than had been the case before this site was developed.
I ask the Minister what is Government policy, if there is a policy? If there is not a policy, does he agree that commodities produced for human consumption by dairy, sheep and beef farmers should be stored in a rural area?
The site is close to a river supplying water to the town of Ardee. Would the Minister agree that because of the risk of spillages the siting of this or similar plants in such areas is not acceptable?
This debate should at least ascertain Government policy in this area. Will instructions be issued to local authorities stating that the rules and regulations must be adhered to in the event of planning permission being sought for such sites? Is the Minister aware that toxic waste is being stored in or around the city of Dublin until it can be transported to the United Kingdom? There should be proper regulations and storage facilities on sites where such materials are stored. There should also be full-time supervision where these products are stored.
I am not aware of any toxic waste site in the country but this one. If local authority approval is given for a licence to operate, such a site could be worth in the region of £5 million to £10 million. This means there are mega bucks involved for the owner of such a site. The haphazard way we have dealt with toxic waste products from different companies must not be allowed continue.
If there is no policy in this area, will the Government produce one? Will proper rules and regulations be sent to the local authorities to ensure that these plants will be sited some distance from agricultural land so that they will not be a health hazard if there should be accidental spillages? It is only right to point out that in 1989 there was a spillage and an emergency plan by Meath County Council had to be put into operation and the local people had to be evacuated from their homes. We are not dealing with a substance such as vegetable oil. It is more serious than that. There is a lot more at stake for the people in the area if all the licences applied for are granted.
Every government should have a policy to deal with these matters. It should instruct local authorities if and when applications are made that they can only consider sites that, in the event of spillages, will not endanger the agricultural community or the health of the local population.
I thank you, a Leas-Chathaoirligh, for your good wishes and thank Senator Farrelly for this important question. I also thank him for his good wishes and assure him I will be available for four or five years to answer any questions he may raise. I compliment him on his election as Senator.
I assure Senator Farrelly that many important measures in relation to hazardous waste policy are already in place in Ireland, and that more are being developed in response to new requirements.
Under the 1982 European Communities (Toxic and Dangerous Waste) Regulations, each local authority is responsible for the planning, organisation and supervision of operations for the disposal of toxic and dangerous waste in their functional areas and for the authorisation of the storage, treatment and deposition of such waste.
In addition to the 1982 Regulations, a wide body of regulatory controls has been developed in relation to hazardous waste transport and various specific categories of hazardous wastes. I refer for instance to regulations dealing with waste oils, asbestos waste, and PCB/PCTs.
Important new provisions are contained in the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992. This will bring all operations with significant polluting potential within the scope of integrated pollution control. The chemical, food production, paper, textiles and metals sectors are among those which will be subject to Environmental Protection Agency licensing, this will clearly include waste control aspects, as well as all aspects affecting air and water pollution.
Current Irish policy in relation to hazardous wastes rests on the strict enforcement of relevant EC and national legislation in accordance with special waste management plans prepared by local authorities. The Government is however committed to improving arrangements for hazardous waste planning. There is provision in the Environmental Protection Agency Act for this function to be taken over on a national basis by the Environmental Protection Agency, and we intend that this will be done as soon as practicable. The Programme for a Partnership Government contains a clear commitment to the early introduction of a Waste Bill, which will provide an even wider framework for future waste management policies.
National quantities of hazardous wastes are estimated at some 60,000 tonnes, with organic and chlorinated solvents representing the large bulk of this amount. It is worth pointing out that while total usage of such solvents has increased considerably, so too has their rate of recycling, which now stands at around 70 per cent. Virtually all of the remainder of hazardous wastes is disposed of on site or exported.
There are obvious economic and environmental advantages in the minimization of waste at source. The Environmental Action Programme indicated the Government's determination to promote, primarily through the industrial development agencies, the adoption of clean technologies and low waste production processes by industry. Through my Department, funds are being provided under the EC Stride Operation Programme for the establishment of a cleaner production programme centre at UCC. Funds have also been provided for a clean technology centre based in Cork regional technical college. The Department of the Environment has also commissioned a study on means to promote greater uptake of clean technologies by industry. We hope to have this study completed before long.
Finally, Senators will be aware from the recent Budget Statement that the Cohesion Fund is to be used to support a further development of waste infrastructure in this country. I hope the House will agree this combination of new and planned legislative measures, as well as research based activity and infrastructural development, represents a serious and systematic approach to hazardous waste management in Ireland. We have not underestimated the requirements of this difficult area and will not do so in the future.
In relation to Senator Farrelly's question about his own county, I understand Meath County Council will be taking action under the 1982 European Communities (Toxic and Organic Waste) Regulations to have the company remove the last of the material on site.
I thank the Minister for his response and I would like to clarify some points. Is it true that each council will get rid of its own toxic waste? Is it not true that the only site in the country for the storage and preparation of toxic waste for export is the site I mentioned in County Meath? Is it also true that no toxic material is exported from its county of origin but is brought to one point in County Meath?
What I said was that each local authority was responsible for the planning, organisation and supervision of operations for the disposal of toxic and dangerous waste in its functional areas and for the authorisation of the storage treatment and disposition of such waste. I did not say that each county council was doing this but each has the responsibility to arrange for it.
The Seanad adjourned at 4.30 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 10 March 1993.
