DUBLIN CITY COUNCILLORS have voted in favour of real-time information to be published online of the Poolbeg incinerator emission data.
The motion is one of a number passed this evening in response to a ‘dangerous’ incident at the plant late last Wednesday in which eleven workers were admitted to hospital.
The workers were brought to hospital after a small, ‘unscheduled’ leakage of lime in the plant: the company claims it didn’t leak outside.
Nine people were released that night, while two workers remained at St Vincent’s Hospital overnight for observation. One was released on Thursday – the other was released Friday.
At a council meeting this evening, Green Party councillor Ciaran Cuffe said he was ‘pleased’ after requests to increase monitoring activity at the incinerator were passed this evening.
Among the motions agreed were to seek the availability of real-time information online regarding the operations of the plant and its emissions.
Last week, Covanta, the company that runs the Ringsend plant, told TheJournal.ie that it plans to publish the emissions data when it commences commercial operations.
Already the company has been publishing real-time information on its two boilers’ furnace temperatures on its website, as required as part of its license.
The council also want Covanta to keep the Council updated on any correspondence received or expenditure incurred in regard to the ongoing investigations.
There are currently three investigations into the incident at Poolbeg: one internal investigation; one by the Health and Safety Authority; and one by the Environmental Protection Agency, which gave Covanta the green light to begin operations.
The controversial incinerator – which is located close to the iconic Poolbeg chimneys at the mouth of the Liffey – only started burning waste a week ago.
The project was first proposed two decades ago – but was held up for years before work finally commenced in 2014.
An agreement was signed for work to begin in September of 2014 after the four Dublin local authorities made an executive decision.
Dublin City Councillors had voted against the project just weeks earlier.
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