Minister to look at alternatives to incinerator

AGRICULTURE Minister Michelle O’Neill has asked her officials to examine viable alternatives to the controversial incinerator at Glenavy for the disposal of poultry litter.

Her comments come following a meeting with CALNI, the residents’ group opposed to the plans by Rose Energy to build a poultry waste incinerator close to the shores of Lough Neagh.

A spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture said the Minister was making the matter a high priority.

“The Minister is aware of the importance of this issue to the industry and of the obligations arising from the EU Water Framework and Nitrates Directives,” he said.

“She has therefore requested officials to undertake a review of developments across the full range of alternative technologies and consider all options for disposal of poultry litter, including the potential for export.

“This matter was raised at the meeting and the Minister made clear her view the Rose Energy proposal raised issues that could only be considered properly through a public inquiry and that she believed that other viable options could be identified and had tasked her officials to examine these.

“No specific timescale has been set but this matter will be given high priority,” he concluded.

Speaking after the meeting with the Minister, spokesperson for CALNI, Sir George Bain, said “some very serious issues” were discussed, including what he said was a “chaotic approach to compliance” with the Nitrates Directive across the EU by other Member States.

“We asked the Minister and DARD to encourage Rose Energy to present its own alternatives to disposing of poultry litter, as its current strategy is clearly not working,” he continued.

“We reiterated that CALNI fully supports the poultry and wider agriculture industry – indeed many of our members are farmers themselves - but this is a deeply flawed proposal on a totally inappropriate site.”

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