The planning application for the Daly Product Polymer Compounding Factory has had no report compiled on it except those that were commissioned on behalf of RTP/Daly Products as part of their submission.
No independent study was commissioned on the impact of emissions on Skibbereen or the surrounding residences and environment.
No Environmental Impact Study was asked for or offered.
No EPA License was deemed necessary as the application came in beneath all thresholds that would have triggered further statutory requirements and where Cork County Council could have asked for them, at their own discretion, they neglected to do so.
No question was raised about the Prevailing Wind Direction over Skibbereen :
The data shown in the above diagram is taken from Met Eireann logs.
The data refers to records kept over nearly 4 decades.
The Windrose Direction graph is taken from the two wind monitoring sites of which Skibbereen is sited most central to.
The proposed plant lies directly South West of Skibbereen and all above analysis shows that 75% of prevailing wind over Skibbereen comes from the South West.
The emissions will blow from a South Westerly direction and billow to regions to the east and west of the town 7 days a week. This is a 24 hour production facility.
The known and stated emissions are:
BROMINE
CADMIUM
STYRENE
ACRYIONITRILE
VINYL ACETATE
POLYOXYMETHYLENE
POLYPHENYLENE SULPHIDE
ANTIMONY FIRE RETARDANT
The RTP/Daly Plastics air quality report mentions that a number of hazardous materials, including but not limited to bromine fire retardant compounds; antimony fire retardant; volatile organic compounds, that will be; heavy metals such as nickel, cobalt, and tin; sulphur oxides; molten polymer; vinyl acetate; POM, PC, and ABS, will be used on site.
Emissions from the smoke when such a catastrophe occurs have dire consequences.
The air born pollutants of a fire from a Polymer Compounding Factory are a serious health hazard.
These pollutants include :
Heavy Metals, Dioxins, Furans and Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs).
Inorganic gases produced in plastic fires include:
Carbon Monoxide
Nitrous Oxides
Hydrochloric Acid
Hydrobromic Acid
Hydrogen Cyanide
Hydrogen
Hydrogen Peroxide
Ammonia
Over 450 organic compounds have been determined in smoke fumes from plastic fires. Many of these are highly toxic, carcinogenic and have high potential to pollute the environment.
Source : NASA
Cork County Council & the EPA know better?
NO LICENCE REQUIRED.
NO EIA REQUIRED.
This is for a location on the Baltimore Road on the outskirts of Skibbereen on The Wild Atlantic Way.
The location of the town and the local populace was considered to be of no importance and would not be impacted negatively and thus required no further study.
That the location of the factory is within the screening area of ‘Roaring Water Bay and Islands Special Area of Conservation’ was deemed insufficiently important to require any further study.
If this is now the type of business that is to be located in West Cork, what will be next?