Sir, - Paddy Corcoran (June 25th) is critical of Indaver and its incinerators in Beveren, Flanders. Indaver is an integrated waste management company and we believe that incineration is only part of the solution to the waste management crisis in Ireland. Recycling and composting/digestion also need to be promoted to reduce our dependence on landfill. In 2000, Indaver handled over 800,000 tonnes of waste, of which 50 per cent was recycled.
Yes, Mr Dick Hogan of The Irish Times was invited as one of a group of journalists to visit Indaver's facilities, including the waste management plant in Beveren, in June. None of the journalists saw massive piles of toxic ash around the Beveren plant because none exist. What is on site is an ash recovery plant where non-hazardous ash produced in the incineration process is recovered. The ash from which metals are recovered (and recycled) is used for road construction - a good example of how Indaver's integrated waste management philosophy is applied.
Indaver's facility in Beveren is situated approximately 1.5 kilometres from the town of Doel and approximately 3 kilometres from the town of Kallo. The town of Beveren, with a population of 45,000 people, is approximately 6km from the site. No health issues arise for those living near the plant or among the workforce at the plant itself. Indeed, the people of Beveren would not be well-pleased to hear their area described as a wasteland.
Since Indaver's formation in 1985, we have been operating waste management facilities to the highest possible standards, in compliance with EU and regional legislation. The incineration technology we have chosen for our proposed plants is well established and proven.
Mr Corcoran refers to the New Zealand experience. That country has 24 incinerators, only two of which have emission control equipment. In fact, the major emitter of dioxins to air in New Zealand is uncontrolled landfill fires.
As part of the design of each proposed Indaver facility, we have incorporated a number of safety features including a two-stage dioxin removal system and continuous dioxin sampling. These safety features ensure that not only would our plants operate to the new EU legislation, but any emissions would be well below the limits set by the EU to ensure these plants operate without causing harm to people or the environment. Indaver guarantees that our proposed facilities will operate at 90 per cent below the new EU limit for emissions of dioxin.
The World Health Organisation states: "The incineration of waste is a hygienic method of reducing its volume and weight which also reduces its potential to pollute."
Incineration reduces waste to an ash, one tenth of its original volume. The process also generates significant levels of energy capable of being fed into national electricity supplies, reducing the need to use fossil fuels. - Yours, etc.,
Laura Burke, Operations Manager, Indaver Ireland, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin.