Bord Pleanala's 4th deferral raises the big question 'WHY?'

cork | environment | news report

Wednesday March 22, 2017 22:24

by CHASE - Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment.

Bord Pleanala have failed to meet their current deadline of 22 March for a decision on the Ringaskiddy incinerator application ( http://www.pleanala.ie/casenum/PA0045.htm ) and are to defer for a fourth time in order to request further information from the applicant, Indaver Ireland. No new date has been set.

CHASE is infuriated by this latest extension and questions the credibility of a process that minimises time given to the community to thoroughly examine an application while granting extra time to the developer first to prepare the application and then to correct it.

Following the 2011 refusal, Indaver opened pre-consultation talks ( http://www.pleanala.ie/casenum/PC0151.htm ) with Bord Pleanala on 30 August 2012 and lodged the application on 13 Jan, 2016.
A 17 day oral hearing took place in April/May 2016
Bord Pleanala were originally scheduled to make a decision by 12 July 2016 in order to meet statutory Strategic Infrastructure guideline period of 18 weeks
Any requests for extra time by the community were refused with Bord Pleanala citing requirements to meet that statutory 18 week deadline
In July 2016 Bord Pleanala extended this deadline to 26 October, subsequently extending to 24 Jan 2017, then to 22 March and that has now been extended again

CHASE spokesperson Mary O’Leary said “We have been fighting this proposal in one form or other since 2001. It is a torturous process and this is a real kick in the teeth. Indaver have been engaged with Bord Pleanala on this application since 30 August 2012, that’s over 4 and a half years ago. We are livid. Indaver have had every chance to get their homework right, they have failed to do so and they are still being spoonfed instead of being sent home. But the real question on everybodys lips is WHY?

Why are Bord Pleanala giving Indaver the opportunity to add further information at this stage, over a year after the application was submitted, 10 months after the oral hearing closed and 8 months after the statutory decision deadline of 12 July.

Why have Bord Pleanala not returned a decision when the Department of Defence stated categorically at the Oral Hearing ( http://chasecorkharbour.com/indaver-facility-will-carry...eded/ ) that the facility would have strategic implications for the Irish State, that it would “create a flight safety hazard to Irish Air Corps helicopter operations” and that risk control measures would need to be implemented which would “impact on the Irish Air Corps’ ability to operate helicopters into Haulbowline”.

Why have Bord Pleanala not returned a decision when the final day exposed false dioxin figures ( http://chasecorkharbour.com/serious-dioxin-figure-irreg...lose/ ) in Indavers application so serious that the Inspector was forced to break and take legal advice.

Why, when there are clear grounds for a refusal, but not for a grant of permission, has the Bord failed to make a call.”

CHASE steering committee will be meeting later this week to discuss the implications of this latest delay.