Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 1 Jun 1995

Vol. 453 No. 8

Written Answers. - Water and Sewerage Schemes.

Trevor Sargent

Ceist:

35 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment in view of EU money being directed to building and upgrading sewage treatment works in Ireland, the plans, if any, he has for the disposal of sewage sludge that will be generated from these facilities in view of the EU landfill directives. [10037/95]

Minister for the Environment (Mr. Howlin)

My Department commissioned a major consultancy study on future sewage sludge management in Ireland in prospect of the greater volumes of sludge which will arise from increased secondary treatment of sewage. This strategy study was circulated to local authorities, together with advice from my Department, in June 1994. Local authorities have been requested to review the design of all wastewater treatment plants and to modify these designs where necessary to take account of various technical recommendations contained in the sludge strategy study.

My Department has also requested local authorities to prepare detailed sludge management plans which are consistent with the principle of reuse and recycling incorporated in the EU Directive on Urban Waste Water Treatment. While landfill is not ruled out as an acceptable method of sludge disposal, alternative management approaches such as land application for agricultural purposes, forestry, land reclamation and the restoration of peat bogs will also be pursued.

A sludge management pilot project is at present under way in Killarney. This project involves the the investigation of optimum sludge treatment technology and the design and construction of a sludge centre to treat sludge produced at the Killarney waste water treatment plant. The results of this pilot project which are expected to be available by the end of 1995 will be of assistance with other treatment plants.

The proposed EU Landfill Directive, on which the Environment Council agreed a common position in June 1994, provides that a landfill site for non-hazardous waste may be used for the disposal of non-hazardous sludges which are compatible with the leachate management procedures adopted in relation to that site.