Cullen criticises incinerator opponents

The Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, has strongly criticised opponents of waste incineration, comparing the ill-effects of thermal treatment with vehicle- created pollution on streets and community bonfires.

Mr Cullen said opponents should "grow up and be mature and stop all the nonsense".

Speaking at a seminar on regional development in Athlone, Mr Cullen said more potentially damaging dioxins "could be picked up by someone on the street corner than could be had from thermal treatment".

In a reference to the current concern over thermal treatment in the Ringaskiddy area of Cork, Mr Cullen said that one night at a bonfire could provides more toxic fumes than all seven incinerators.

While he said he accepted the people of Cork were genuine in their concerns, he remarked that parents were often satisfied to have children attend bonfires, "even giving their children a can of petrol to make sure the bonfires get going".

"We should stop blackguarding each other and be sensible," he said. "Cork is advancing it will get its facilities, Dublin is advancing it will happen there too."

But he said: "I am worried about the BMW (border, midlands and west) region I will be here in ten years' time and I will have a very simple answer for you.

"Your waste management infrastructure is as important as the regional airports, the motorways and the rest. The west cannot wait."

Mr Cullen said he specifically wanted to warn members of the border, midlands and western regional authorities who were present, that the absence of waste management strategies was "now number one, not number 47" on the agenda of foreign companies who wanted to invest in the Republic.

The Minister said he regularly received representatives from development agencies clamouring for job creation and then saw the same individuals "out waving a placard saying no to this and that". It was not sustainable, he added.

Mr Cullen also criticised opponents of major infrastructure projects, remarking that he had "never heard so much bull and baloney" about the Luas project.

He told the regional authority members that "anyone who wants to drive to Dublin can see the type of infrastructure we need.

"Of course you can't build these things without disruption," said Mr Cullen.

Speaking to The Irish Times after his address, the Minister said his comments were framed by the need to achieve balanced regional development.

He added that proposals by most of the regional authorities to have regional waste incinerators were plausible as they could not be built safely in small sizes with capacities of "about 70,000 tonnes".

"We know the volumes of waste produced so we can design for what is needed," said the Minister.