Locals campaigning against a 'monster sewage plant' planned for near Dublin Airport have shared their delight at the election of the Green Party's Joe O'Brien as a TD.
The Dublin Fingal candidate was elected yesterday following Friday's by-election, and topped the polls.
The Solution not Pollution campaign said it's a major boost, despite the plans being approved by An Bord Pleanala.
Sabrina Joyce-Kemper from Portmarnock, is one of the leaders of the Solution not Pollution campaign.
She said: "The victory for Joe O’Brien who backed our judicial review of the planning decision is a victory for those of us campaigning across the Dublin Bay region against this unsustainable plant.
"Clearly, we need waste treatment plants, but they should be smaller, localised units. This plant will be pumping 300 million litres of inadequately-treated waste a day into the Irish Sea off Ireland’s Eye.
“In the case of plant failure, overflow sewage will end up being pumped into the Tolka River from Irish Water’s Blanchardstown tanks.
“If something goes wrong with the plant it will be catastrophic for the environment, for fishing and tourism jobs and for people’s health."
Irish Water say the plant, which was projected to cost €500m, would serve 500,000 people across the north of the county.
However the project was met with 14,000 objections and was granted subject to conditions including that the water be treated to tertiary level rather than secondary.
She continued: “Based on recent EPA research and reports, doubts have been raised over whether the UV treatment proposed will sufficiently treat the heavy solids found in Dublin’s effluent, with up to 40 per cent of pathogens and micro-bacteria evading UV light, according to these EPA reports.
“The public were not allowed to consult on this, which casts down on the integrity of the planning process.”
