Dáil debates

Wednesday, 2 February 2005

Adjournment Debate.

Waste Disposal.

9:00 pm

Photo of John GormleyJohn Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I had hoped my constituency colleague, the Minister, Deputy McDowell, would not leave the House because this matter concerns him.

Photo of Ivor CallelyIvor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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I hope he is not burning waste.

Photo of John GormleyJohn Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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This is an important matter and, when I raised it previously, I also hoped my constituency colleague, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, would be present. He witnessed the burning of waste at the opening of a playground at Whelan O'Rahallaigh House during which an industrial operation took place on Hanover Quay. PVC was burned with the intention of selling the copper wire which remained following the fire.

According to a Government agency, Race Against Waste, this is a serious issue because almost 73% of dioxins emitted to air in Ireland come from uncontrolled, low temperature burning of waste, which makes the back yard burning of waste the greatest source of dioxins released into the environment. The amount of toxins released as a result of such fires depends on the composition of the waste being burned. PVC is the worst product to burn. One might feel it was alarmist if an environmentalist made these claims but they are being made by a State agency.

According to Race Against Waste, the emissions contain dioxins; sulphurins, some of which are carcinogenic; volatile organic compounds which can aggravate respiratory and heart illness and lead to kidney and liver damage; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs, which are carcinogens; carbon monoxide; hexachlorobenzine, which has similar properties to dioxins as it is persistent and builds up in humans and the environment and at certain levels of exposure may cause serious health problems such as cancer, kidney and liver damage; nitrogen oxides; microscopic particles; and ash, which may contain mercury, lead and arsenic.

Following these fires, black plumes of smoke pass over Ringsend and flats in the area have been vacated as a result. The people setting the fires are operating with impunity. I have contacted Dublin City Council, the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Garda. Gardaí call to the site intermittently and the fires cease for a while. However, they have started again and there is a fire every week. It is a lucrative business but it also poses serious health and environmental problems for the area. That is why I wanted the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to be present and, while he may be aware of the problem, he is ignoring it.

If these fires continue, serious health problems will be experienced by residents in the area. If everything contained in the Race Against Waste document is true, it amounts to criminal negligence on the part of the authorities. They are allowing people to be poisoned and they are allowing this pollution to continue.

I must ask what is the motivation. Apparently it is that if we had incinerators they would solve the problem. In a sense it is a type of blackmail — if we get the incinerator, this will stop. However, what the document does not point out is that in countries that have incinerators, the highest amount of dioxins come from municipal incinerators. However, in places such as Denmark they have a different approach and will not permit this sort of backyard burning. It is unheard of there that anyone would behave in such an irresponsible way and it is stopped.

In this country, however, it is allowed, and I believe it will increase, as does the Government agency. We expect it will increase from 93 grammes of dioxins produced in 2000 to 110 grammes in 2010. Here people burn for commercial interests and because they do not want to pay their waste charges. We must deal with this. The Government must come down hard on this activity because it causes significant health problems. I urge the Minister to do something about this issue, which affects my constituents. It also affects me because I live in the area with my family. The situation is intolerable.

Photo of Ivor CallelyIvor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to address this matter on behalf of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche. This is a particular issue in the Ringsend area where I witnessed in passing the black cloud of smoke.

The Minister and I share the concerns of the Deputy about the reported growth of the practice of burning waste. Data from the Environmental Protection Agency show that backyard burning of domestic waste is responsible for over 40% of all dioxin emissions in Ireland. It is our view that the best way to tackle this is to develop awareness of the environment and health consequences, while also ensuring that there is a strong and effective regulatory regime in place.

There has been a very successful Race Against Waste campaign and a series of leaflets dealing with different strands of waste management have been published. The feedback to date has been extremely positive and is backed up by exceptional demand. Copies have been forwarded to each Member of the House. One of the leaflets deals specifically with the issue of backyard burning and makes it clear in no uncertain terms the environmental consequences of this waste management approach.

Turning to the current regulatory regime, under the Air Pollution Act 1987 the occupier of any premises, other than a private dwelling, is required to use the best practicable means to limit and, if possible, prevent an emission of a pollutant into the atmosphere from such premises. In addition, the occupier of any premises is prohibited from causing or permitting an emission in such a quantity or manner as to be a nuisance. Deputy Gormley referred to a particular area where there are recurring difficulties and problems. The Act empowers a local authority to serve a notice on the occupier of any premises from which there is an emission and specifies the measures necessary to prevent or limit air pollution.

The Waste Management Act 1996 also places a general duty on the holder of waste not to hold, transport, recover or dispose of waste in a manner that causes or is likely to cause environmental pollution. Local authorities have specific powers under the Act to require measures to be taken to prevent or limit environmental pollution caused by the holding or disposal of waste, and mitigate or remedy the effects on the environment of any such activity. In addition, the Fire Services Act 1981 provides that a fire authority may serve a fire safety notice on the owner or occupier of land on which waste is being stored.

Under the Local Government Act 1994 it is open to a local authority to make by-laws in the interests of the common good of the local community so that any activity may be regulated or controlled. The Minister would urge local authorities to use these powers to tackle this unacceptable and potentially dangerous activity. In this regard, I suggest Deputy Gormley arrange a meeting with the local authority in his area and question it on the aspects of the information I have given him tonight. He should bring these powers to the authority's attention, although it should be fully au fait with them. It should then work out a management plan as to how best to tackle the recurring issue about which he has spoken. The Minister would be happy to hear from the Deputy the progress made in this regard.

I again thank the Deputy for affording me the opportunity to address the House on this matter. I understand the Minister is satisfied that in terms of educational and awareness initiatives we are moving in the right direction. With the substantial legal avenues available to the local authorities, the Minister is confident that the appropriate powers are in place to ensure that this practice will no longer be seen as acceptable nor as something that will be ignored.

If I am thinking of the same group of people being involved in the practice as those about whom the Deputy is so deeply concerned, he will accept that local authorities have had great difficulty in serving the appropriate notices and addressing the issue. If, however, we work out an appropriate plan, we should be able to adequately address the issue of concern.

The Dáil adjourned at 9.30 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, 3 February 2005.