Meath to reconsider plan's acceptance

Galway for a Safe Environment (GSE), and the 25,000 people who petitioned against incineration in the county are enraged at this week's betrayal by Fianna Fáil and PD councillors. On Monday last, Galway Corporation reversed its decision, taken only six months ago, to reject Minister Noel Dempsey's plans for an incinerator in Galway. The tight vote was 8 to 7 for the plan's reinstatement.

`` Minister Dempsey's bully boy threats to councillors to rubber stamp his plans for incineration, which the people in Galway have overwhelmingly rejected,'' have worked,'' says Sinn Féin's Arthur Morgan, a leading campaigner against incineration in Louth. ``This vote deeply undermines local democracy. The vote is no more than an exercise in `party loyalty' if not patronage. It is an out and out betrayal which makes a mockery of local democracy.

``In Louth and in Meath, as in Galway, we have done our very best to inform councillors of the dangers of incineration and the quite viable alternatives open to local government in meeting its obligation to draw up and implement waste disposal in their areas.''

Morgan has an injunction against the Chair of Louth County Council, who took the liberty of deciding a vote to reverse Louth's opposition to incineration without the required two thirds majority. The judicial review of this decision is expected to be heard next week.

Following a well-attended public meeting expressing concerns over incineration, Meath Sinn Féin Councillor Joe Reilly proposed a special meeting for councillors to reconsider their decision to accept the Minister's proposed plan for incineration at Carranstown. On Monday the council agreed (by 22 votes to 3, with 1 abstention and 3 absent) to Reilly's proposal to hold a special meeting to reconsider their earlier acceptance of the North East Regional Waste Plan. As yet no date for the meeting has been fixed.

``Will our councillors allow themselves to be railroaded by the Minister in Meath just as they were in Galway?'' asks Joe Reilly, ``or, will they respect the clear call from the people in Duleek last week, not to allow incineration.

``I am looking to Meath councillors to establish real democracy in the county.''

Morgan rejects incinerator quango

Sinn Féin's Environment spokesperson has described the call by the Institution of Engineers for a National Waste Management Authority as ``an ill-disguised attempt to stop communities using their voice and local democracy''.

Louth County Councillor Arthur Morgan, who won a High Court judicial review last week of his local authority's controversial acceptance of the North East Waste Management Plan, said: ``This is an attempt by the Institution to force incinerators through the back door. Yes, we do need a national waste management strategy - for the whole of Ireland - but what the Institution seems to be proposing is a Government-appointed quango to impose incinerators against the wishes of the people.''

Morgan noted the inclusion of ``cost effective'' among the Institution's criteria for dealing with waste management. ``Does the Institute value everything in terms of cash or in terms of cost to people's health, the air that we breathe and the cost to the environment our children will inherit?'' he asked.

``The Institute claims it wants to work closely with industry and community and environmental groups. That is what many of us are doing. Is their real objection that we won't roll over and accept the big business option of incineration?''