Vol. 573 No. 3
703 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government if he will make available the research for his assertion that 100 times more dioxins will be released on Hallowe'en night than by eight municipal incinerators operating for a full year. [25443/03]
The report entitled, Inventory of Dioxin & Furan Emissions to Air, Land and Water in Ireland for 2000 and 2010, published by the EPA in December 2002 provides a useful indication of the relative significance of various emission sources for dioxins. In relation to the existing nine hazardous waste incinerators, the report estimated these to have contributed a fraction of 1% of national dioxin emissions to air in 2000 – tables 1 and 4.2 of the report refer. By comparison, estimated emissions from Hallowe'en bonfires, as set out in table 4.26 of the report, were over 130 times higher.
It is evident from the report that the biggest source of dioxin emissions is, and is expected to remain, uncontrolled combustion processes, in particular, the home burning of domestic waste, house and vehicle fires, and Hallowe'en bonfires.
