GREENS PROPOSE NEW WASTE BILL IN DAIL

Green Party councillor, Deirdre de Burca, expressed her disappointment that the Bill was defeated. "This Bill tried to enshrine in law a ban on incineration, to require targets to be set for minimising waste, to ensure local councillors were responsible as well as accountable for waste policy for their administrative areas and to ensure that for the first time, the definition of a zero waste strategy was enshrined in law" she said. "A zero waste strategy is the most enlightened path a country can take when dealing with waste. It is similar to a policy of aiming for zero road tragedies and road accidents. It is a target that will be very difficult to attain but this should not stop us from setting such targets. However, strong political will is required to ensure zero waste in time" she added.

Councillor de Burca believes that Ireland is at a crossroads with regard to incineration. She points out that unlike other countries where incineration is an established waste management practice, Ireland can benefit from hindsight. "Technology has moved on" she says. "Incineration is not required for BSE infected material with the introduction of alkaline hydrolysis, an approved technology in the United States which is soon to be approved in the European Union". She also argues that newer technologies such as chemclaving and autoclaving are available in regard to dealing with medical and hazardous waste.

The Greens argue that incineration is an unacceptable technology, particularly from a health perspective. They dismiss the Government's arguments that the problem of toxic emissions has been eliminated. "Nobody believes that" says de Burca. "Incineration is counterproductive in terms of economics as more waste needs to be generated so that such plants are profitable for the companies who have invested in expensive plants".

Councillor de Burca expressed disappointment that the government failed to accept the arguments being put forward by the Green Party with regard to minimising the amounts of waste being produced."Householders are currently paying waste charges across the country, including County Wicklow, although they are not in fact responsible for the problem. Successive governments have argued that the polluter must pay, although it is clear that householders are not the real problem.The ordinary householder is a waste receiver not a waste creator" she says. "These governments have failed to deal with the issue of a reduction of packaging, which creates a significant amount of what householders put out as rubbish. They have no option but to take it when they buy goods in a shop. The packaging of goods is quite incredible. Ordinary household products on sale in supermarkets such as food, mechanical goods or basic appliances have one, two or three layers of wrapping" she adds.

The Green Party is concerned that Ireland has the highest per capita amount of waste created in the world, outside of the United States. The Greens have described Irish recycling activities as minimal and ineffective. According to councillor de Burca "at a rate of 8% we are lagging at the bottom of the European league table. The Government has chosen, instead, to go down what seems the easy disposal option of incineration" .

Finally, the Green Party is disappointed that its recent Waste Management Amendment Bill was defeated and therefore failed to redress the negative aspects of the previous Minister for the Environment, Noel Dempsey's, waste legislation. "The previous Minister for Environment and Local Government used waste management as a means to undermine local democracy in Ireland and his amendment to the 1996 Waste Management Act removed power from local authorities, giving central Government an executive role in deciding local waste management strategies" says de Burca. "The Greens sought to return power for the making, reviewing and replacement of waste management plans to democratically elected local councillors" she says" but unfortunately we did not get the support of a majority of TDs for this measure".

For further information please contact Deirdre de Burca on 086 8061450 or email deburca@wicklowgreens.org.