by Bernie English [email protected]
DISCUSSIONS about a controversial plan for a gasification plant at the former landfill site at Gortadroma in West Limerick will be held behind closed doors, without access for the media or other interested parties.
Opponents of the plan who arrived at the council chambers to listen to the debate at this week’s meeting of Limerick City and County Council will also be debarred from attending.
Cllr John Sheahan (FG) had tabled a motion for the meeting asking that a quantitive risk assessment be carried out on the operation of the gasification plant.
US consortium Cadence EnviroPower was the company chosen by the council in 2014 to build a multi-million euro plant on the grounds of a closed landfill in Gortadroma which would convert 1,000 tonnes of municipal waste and 45 tonnes of tyres a day to gas to supply the national electricity grid.
The company agreed to pay the council €4 million a year to lease the site.
The plant is expected to provide 150 jobs but has still to get planning permission from An Bord Pleannalla and a waste licence from the Environmental Protection Agency.
Cllr Sheahan said that he knew “that this is commercially sensitive but I would like to know if there is any progress? There are two sets of information out there and I would like to get clarification”.
Objectors to the plan attended the meeting with their children, who held up notices reading “Our future, up in smoke”.
Mary and Joe O’Connor, who are sixth generation farmers living on and working the land just two kilometers from the proposed plant are fearful for the effects on their children should the plant get up and running.
“Two of our children were born with eczema all over their bodies. The first five years of their lives were living hell . They have extreme sensitivities – we haven’t even been able to paint the inside of our house, they are so bad. We can’t live beside a plant like this”.
Cllr John Gilligan (Ind) warned the members that any move to tear up the existing contract could be costly.
“The last time we ripped up a contract it went to court and cost us €80 million. We need to get real here”.
After an adjournment, council officials told members that the local authority is taking legal advice and it would be “inappropriate” to have a discussion o debate on the matter in a public forum in the meantime.
County Limerick Senator James Heffernan (Social Democrats) said that to hold a meeting on such an important matter behind closed doors was not democratic.
“Local councillors would not have any expertise in this (gasification process) field. This is not the kind of investment that supports local communities”, he said.
A public meeting is due to be held on the issue on February 8 at 8pm in Shanagolden Hall.
