The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has eased the terms of a new licence for the huge Aughinish Alumina plant, allowing the company to avoid further major capital investment aimed at reducing emissions at the plant.
The EPA yesterday issued an Integrated Control Pollution (IPC) licence for Aughinish, the largest industrial plant in the State, at Askeaton, Co Limerick.
Green Party leader Mr Trevor Sargent expressed "grave disappointment" yesterday with the decision.
In the draft licence, issued last September, the EPA had stipulated that in order to get a new licence, the company must further reduce the plant's nitrogen dioxide emissions, which give rise to acid rain.
However, Aughinish objected to the condition.
The plant's environmental co-ordinator, Mr Liam Fleming, claimed that major capital investment would be required, and complained that the condition was "excessively onerous on Aughinish Alumina at this time".
He said the imminent arrival of Combined Heat Power (CHP) at the plant would "render the boilers partially redundant and reduce [nitrogen dioxide\] emissions significantly".
The company is contracted to have the €100 million CHP plant, which is expected to provide significant environmental benefits, operational by the end of next year.
Now, in response to the Aughinish objection, the EPA has said the emissions levels stipulated in the plant's previous IPC licence can remain in place.
It is the second time that Aughinish has been successful in easing the terms of its licence. When the EPA granted the original draft licence for the plant in 1997, amidst a storm of protest from local and environmental groups, the company successfully objected to demands by the agency to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions, claiming the firm's survival was threatened.
In yesterday's decision, Aughinish was successful in four of its eight objections against the conditions of its licence, while the EPA has stated that the company's programme of meetings with the local community is adequate.
However, the agency stood firm in its demand that alumina dust emissions at the plant be cut. Aughinish had requested that the proposed reductions be deferred until 2005.
An Aughinish spokesman yesterday declined to comment on the EPA decision.
Mr Sargent said: "The EPA should have insisted to the last letter the conditions that were included in the draft licence, and I am disappointed that they didn't stand their ground in the final licence that has been issued. It shows for me a weakness on the part of the EPA."
