Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

There were questions at the oral hearings about sludge and the contracting of the spreading of biofert by the contractor in the south east. Are there plans to burn the sludge and the biofert in the incinerator? Will there be a cost to the incinerator as a result of the thermal output this will generate?

I refer to bottom ash and fly ash and different contamination levels. The ash that comes off the scrubbers, etc., is highly toxic with dioxins and so on. Thousands of tonnes of ash will come off them. Where will this be shipped? Where will the bottom ash be disposed of? Early in the process, this was suggested for use as a mix in road construction but the EU says that contamination in bottom ash is too high. That will go either go to a landfill or be exported. Has a destination been found for that? Under EU directives, it should be kept close to its source. Will a location have to be found in Ireland? What is the current thinking on that?

Air quality standards on the peninsula have been breached and this was mentioned to An Bord Pleanála. Are they still being breached? It was stated the incinerator should not proceed until air quality reaches the recognised standard. What is the current position on that?