Thousands of tonnes of waste are set to be exported from Dublin to other counties because of delays in establishing the proposed Ringsend incinerator and a new landfill site in north Dublin.
Under a new implementation timetable drawn up by Dublin City Council, the incinerator, planned for a site at the Poolbeg peninsula in Ringsend, is not scheduled to open until 2010.
A new landfill site for Dublin, to be located in the townland of Nevitt in the north of the county has been approved by Fingal County Council, but is unlikely to open before 2009.
Capacity at the existing Dublin waste facilities is due to run out by December 2007.
The Ballyogan landfill, operated by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, has already been closed and the Arthurstown facility, just over the border in Kill, Co Kildare, is scheduled for closure on December 21st 2007.
The north Dublin Balleally landfill may have capacity into 2008, however the amount of space available is not clear and any extension is uncertain.
"In December 2007 all the landfills in the Dublin region will be closed, so what do we do with the waste after that?" asked Matt Twomey, assistant city manager with responsibility for waste management. "Clearly we will have to look outside the region."
The council was considering a number of options including a "short extension" to the Arthurstown site, Mr Twomey said. However it was "very likely" that the council would be seeking to use capacity at landfill sites in surrounding counties.
"Clearly we have to get outlets for the waste, even if we started building today it is unlikely that the new facilities in the Dublin region would be ready in time," he said.
The proposal for a thermal treatment plant was originally advanced by Dublin City Council in its 1998 Waste Management Plan.
Plans to locate the facility at Ringsend have met with strong local opposition.
City councillors have made numerous attempts to stop the incinerator going ahead. However they have been overruled by the city manager.
The council shortlisted four European companies to tender for the contract to build the incinerator more than two years ago. One of the companies, Elsam Ireland, a subsidiary of a Danish power company, has now been selected.
The council's decision requires the sanction of the Department of the Environment before the project can go to the planning stage. This sanction is expected to be delivered next month.
The planning phase, which includes application to An Board Pleanála and the Environmental Protection Agency, is expected to take until the end of 2006. Under the council's timeframe, construction will take place in 2007 and 2008.
Commissioning and eventual opening of the plant is due from 2009.
Councillors have made a further objection to the incinerator in their submission to the replacement Waste Management Plan for 2005-2010.
Final public submissions to the plan must be made to the council by close of business today.
:quality(70)/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/irishtimes/0bcd259b-2f01-4cec-ad76-961379866d32.png)