The Green Party has called for improvements in the oversight and regulation of waste permits after this morning’s large fire at the NER Recycling facility in Greenogue, West Dublin. It called on the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment Denis Naughten TD to tighten up licensing and monitoring for such facilities.
The party’s Dublin Spokesperson Councillor Ciarán Cuffe stated: “This large fire comes just seven months after a large fire at the St Margaret’s / Sandyhill vehicle recycling facility in North Dublin on 11th January 2018. There was also a large fire at the Oxigen Environmental Recycling Plant in Ballymount on 24th January 2014.
“It seems that history is repeating itself, and a review of our licensing procedures is needed. In both cases large clouds of toxic smoke passed over residential areas. We need greater oversight and management of these large recycling facilities. How is it that these fires are not contained and extinguished quickly?
“As recycling depots expand we need to ensure that the public are adequately protected. After three major fires at recycling plants in Dublin in recent years it seems clear that we need to improve both monitoring and licensing procedures for such facilities. Vast amounts of toxic substances are being released into the air each time a fire like this breaks out. Minister Naughten needs to reduce the risk of such fires reoccurring and review the licensing procedures and monitoring for such plants.”
Dublin Mid-West Greens Local Representative Peter Kavanagh said “Residents are deeply concerned about toxins being released into the air from recycling plants during incidents such as this, so a review of the licensing procedures and better monitoring of these facilities would go a long way to alleviating these concerns.”
