A LIMERICK solicitor’s High Court challenge against the granting of a waste incineration licence to Irish Cement for its production site at Castlemungret will commence on May 10.
Michelle Hayes, who is President of Environmental Trust Ireland, is seeking to revoke the Irish Cement licence allowing the company to burn up to 90,000 tonnes of tyres, sewage, animal carcasses, animal faeces, bone meal, mine waste and tailings a year.
The High Court challenge comes in the wake of the EPA decision made on May 18 last year to grant a waste co-incineration licence to Irish Cement following a six-day oral hearing in December 2020.
The case is due to commence on May 10 for seven days in the Commercial Court, which is a special division of the High Court for cases worth over one million euro.
“This is too important an issue to go unchallenged for the people of Limerick, Tipperary and Clare, who will be most affected if the incinerator goes ahead,” Ms Hayes told the Limerick Post.
“Surprisingly, the Minister for the Environment is vehemently opposing my application and is intent that the Incineration Licence granted to Irish Cement stands.
“Since I instigated proceedings in July 2021, this case has been in court at least seven times. It is a mammoth task for an individual to take on such formidable opposition including the EPA, Irish Cement, Environment Minister Eamon Ryan and the Attorney General, who are vigorously opposing my application to quash the licence granted to Irish Cement for an Incinerator,” Ms Hayes explained.
