Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I raise the issue of a proposed treatment plant in Warrenpoint harbour which is to be used to store and transfer hazardous waste. The proposal is at planning stage in Northern Ireland. I have been contacted by many residents and businesses in the Omeath, Carlingford and Greenore areas who are greatly concerned at the potential impact of this facility. They have also raised concerns at the manner in which the application is being made and the lack of available information.

The plant has applied for a pollution prevention and control, PPC, permit to operate as a hazardous waste transfer station and bulking facility which will be used to bulk and store both hazardous and non-hazardous materials. It is also proposed to include a chemical treatment plant which will be used for the physico-chemical treatment of waste and the storage of treated effluent waste. The treatment plant, which will be over 1,000 sq. m in size, is by no means a small development. It has been indicated that at any one time the treatment plant will store 200 tonnes of carcinogenic waste, one tonne of readily combustible solids and one tonne of spontaneously combustible solids. The treatment plant has also applied to store five tonnes of quarantined waste for periods of five days at a time.

What worries me most about this proposal is that it appears that no proper assessment has been carried out. There was no impact assessment study in regard to the effects a toxic waste spillage or emission would have on the well being of the residents of the Carlingford Lough area. The company behind the proposal indicated that it is very probable that an accidental spillage may occur as a result of the treatment of hazardous waste at the site. It should also be noted that the proposed location of this plant has been vulnerable to flooding in recent years.

I am amazed that this proposed plant has not received any scrutiny from elected representatives in the North. I represent the people of Louth and they are deeply concerned at this proposal. The proposed plant is within 120 m of residential areas in Omeath yet in the impact statement the proposers of the plant state that the nearest residential area is over 400 m away. This is a very serious issue and one into which we in the South must have an input. It is not good enough simply to ignore the residents and businesses on the southern side of the lough. Millions of euro of taxpayers' money has been invested in the area to boost the tourism sector. In recent weeks it was agreed to extend the Carlingford to Omeath greenway as far as Newry. It should be noted that the proposed treatment plant is within 120 m of the greenway.

The Minister should give a commitment to contact the relevant authorities in Northern Ireland to obtain further information on this proposal and voice his concerns. The people of Louth are too familiar with the effects of living so close to hazardous and dangerous plants. One only has to consider the negative effects the Sellafield plant has had on the region over the past 40 years to realise that. This proposed development is only 120 m from one the most naturally beautiful areas in the region and has the potential to destroy the thriving tourism industry that has been built up in the Carlingford and Omeath region.

Assurances are needed from the Northern authorities that they will engage with residents and businesses in the South in regard to this proposal rather than ignore them. I appreciate that as the Northern Assembly is still not up and running the Minister's job will be more difficult in this regard but I urge him to take all steps possible to, at the very least, stall this process until a full consultation has taken place with residents and businesses in the south of Carlingford Lough.

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