As Dublin City Council says it is pushing ahead with construction of the Dublin Bay incinerator, major cracks are opening up in its plans.
Firstly, the incinerator is to be run as a Public-Private Partnership (PPP), in the contract signed with US firm Covanta the four Dublin local authorities have guaranteed a supply of 300,000 tons of waste per year. If they fail to meet this figure, financial penalities apply. As a result of recycling and recession, total waste is at most under 200,000 tons a year. This leaves DCC with an incentive to produce more waste - either by reducing recycling or importing waste. Importing waste from another EU state is illegal so it would have to come from further afield.
Secondly, DCC have just lost an important courtcase with private waste collectors. They are now no longer obliged to bring their waste to the proposed incinerator.
Thirdly, the costs of this project are immense. To date € 20m has been spent on consultants alone. Its footprint is the size of Croke Parke, its height that of Liberty Hall. The whole thing is to be enclosed in a steel and glass structure.
According to Francis Corr of Combined Residents Against Incineration (CRAI), "People are under the impression that it's already built" but nothing is built, no contracts or tenders have been submitted. CRAI have organised a mass rally for Saturday, 30th January, 11.30, Clann na Gael GAA, Sean Moore Rd, Ringsend.. "Everyone is encouraged to attend - this is not just about Ringsend but affects all of Dublin." Bin charges will go up to pay for this scheme.
Some believe that DCC are in fact looking for a way out - without loosing face - or money.
Either way the whole project is looking very shaky - and a big turn-out will help them to make the obvious decision.
