The parents of 8,000 schoolchildren have said there are 8,000 good reasons for An Bord Pleanála to turn down planning permission for an incinerator proposed for the Louth/Meath border. The children live within a five-mile radius of the proposed facility.
The board spent four days last week hearing objections to the planning permission granted by Meath County Council to Indaver Ireland for its waste management facility at Carranstown, between Drogheda and Duleek.
Parents, as well as the majority of other objectors, fear the possible health and environmental impact of the incinerator, particularly the production of dioxins and any accidental leakage of them.
Their protest group, Concerned Parents Against Incineration, said this weekend: "This should really be called a dioxin factory. Our children are at the greatest risk of being exposed to dangerous levels of dioxins and other dangerous substances if this gets the green light.
"We believe it threatens both our children and the future viability of some of their schools." If there is an accident, the greatest risk of exposure to dioxins would, they say, be within a five-mile radius of the site. Drogheda is a designated development centre and its population will more than double to 70,000 people in the next 10 years.
One of the secondary schools, Drogheda Grammar School, held a "mini referendum" on the issue and its pupils gave a resounding No to the project.
The closest school is Mount Hanover national school, which is a few hundred yards from the site. It has 100 pupils.
The school's board of management objected at the oral hearing. Mr Michael Cullinane, a parent who is on the school board, outlined the main concerns. "The health risks will make it [the school\] less attractive.
"We also believe there is a real risk of spillage of waste, that there could be an accident at the plant, that the noise level will increase significantly and be disruptive and that there will be a traffic risk to both children and parents."
The oral hearing was not legally allowed to consider any environmental concerns related to the proposed plant and senior inspector Mr James Carroll, who conducted the hearing, will report back to An Bord Pleanála.
However, it could be the New Year before the final decision is known.