Galway Safe Waste Alliance
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Tuesday, May 30th, 2000
Galway Safe Waste Alliance Ballinasloe Against the Super Dump Clontuskert Anti-Incineration Group Cross/New Inn Anti-Dump Committee Galway for a Safe Environment Ballinahistle/Kilrickle Anti-Dump Committee Newbridge Action Committee Tuesday, May 30th, 2000 Community Groups Unite To Call for Rejection of Waste Plan Alliance Willing to Help Create Alternative Plan Call for Partnership with Community to Manage Waste Six community groups in Galway City and County have united to call for the rejection of the Connacht Draft Waste Management Plan. The Galway Safe Waste Alliance includes action groups from all of the areas in the county with existing or proposed landfill sites, and the two groups campaigning against incinerators in the county. The Alliance is calling on Galway County and City Councillors to reject the Connacht Draft Waste Management Plan at the earliest opportunity, and is proposing a partnership approach with the local authorities to developing an alternative plan, based on recycling and non-burn alternatives. Joint Spokesman for the Galway Safe Waste Alliance, Mr. Seán Gavin (Newbridge), said that "the basic proposal in the plan to bring most of Connacht's waste to Galway is completely counter to the EU Proximity Principle, and will result in larger, more toxic landfills in Galway than would result if Galway implemented an agressive Reduction Recycling & Reuse Plan of its own." "Landfill sites must also be located in areas where they impact on people least", said Mr. Gavin Dr. Conchúr Ó Brádaigh (Galway) said that his group had now collected over 20,000 signatures in Galway City against the Waste Plan, and that this showed that the public were completely against any proposal to construct large-scale waste incinerators or gassification plants to deal with Galway's waste. Dr. Ó Brádaigh also referred to a recent newspaper interview with Mr. Ludwig Kraemer, Head of the EU's Waste Management Directorate , who was quoted as saying that "In France, Belgium, Holland, Italy, Germany and Portugal no more incinerators are being built because the people no longer want them. They are treated the same way as nuclear powers stations - people no longer want them" Dr. Ó Bradaigh, called on the Minister for the Environment, Noel Dempsey to explain to the Irish people why, after months of telling us that the EU was in favour of incineration, it now appears that the opposite is true. "It is quite clear from Mr. Kraemer's comments that the EU Waste Management Directorate is not in favour of incineration and it is time that Mr. Dempsey and his consultants stopped telling us that Europe is in favour of incineration". The Galway Safe Waste Alliance has been in contact with international consultants, who are willing to become involved with framing an alternative "green" plan for dealing with Connacht's waste. "We are calling on Galway County Council and Corporation to adopt a partnership approach towards the development of a new waste plan for Galway, involving the community directly", said Seán Gavin. Confirmation: Seán Gavin, Newbridge 0903-60198 / 087-2648126 Conchúr Ó Brádaigh 091-799223 / 087-2830452 <!-- HTML Markup endspan --> </td> </tr> </table> <a name=bottom></a> </body> </html>