EPA to grant licence for Poolbeg incinerator

The latest move is another blow to thousands of local residents, including Minister for the Environment John Gormley, who have campaigned vigorously against the scheme.

Earlier this week An Bord Pleanála gave the go-ahead for plant, which will be the largest in the country.

A 28-day public consultation period will now be held during which objections and requests for oral hearings can be lodged.

The agency said the licence contains 109 conditions relating to the environmental management, operation, control and monitoring of the facility and provides a maximum annual intake of 600,000 tonnes of residual non-hazardous waste.

"The EPA is satisfied that emissions from the facility, when operated in accordance with the conditions of the proposed licence, will not adversely affect human health or the environment and will meet all relevant national and EU standards," said a spokesman.

"Best available techniques (Bat) will be employed at the facility."

Conditions imposed include disposing of residual waste only and operating it as a combined heat and power plant to generate electricity and heat for a district heating scheme.

All emissions from the facility shall also have to comply with the requirements of the EU Directive on the Incineration of Waste.

The EPA said its Office of Environmental Enforcement will monitor and enforce these conditions through environmental audits, unannounced site visits and systematic checks on emissions.

On Monday, An Bord Pleanála granted the city council permission to burn up to 600,000 tonnes of rubbish a year - 20% more than its own inspectors recommended - to generate power for nearly 50,000 homes and heat for about 60,000 households.

Poolbeg will become the country's third waste incinerator, after planners passed similar but smaller schemes in Co Meath and Cork.

However Mr Gormley, a Green TD who has been a fierce opponent of the incinerator which will sit on the edge of his Dublin South-East constituency, has vowed to introduce policies which he says will ensure that the incinerator in Dublin will become redundant.

Combined Residents Against Incineration will also fight the decision.

The Poolbeg plant, operated by a Danish-American consortium under the name Dublin Waste to Energy, is known as a thermal treatment plant and is designed to convert household rubbish into power and heat. It is expected to deal with 25% of the capital's waste.

Although now open for consultation, the EPA said it has already considered the application and supporting documentation, including an Environmental Impact Statement from the applicant, 18 valid submissions received from other parties and the reports of its inspector.

Any objections must be lodged by December 18 to EPA Headquarters, PO Box 3000, Johnstown Castle Estate, Co Wexford.