It was interesting listening to Gormley's interview on RTE just recently. Sean O'Rourke noted that Gormley has a 'no incinerator here' sticker on his home window. 'How can you be so sure' says Gormley. 'Well, do you have one or not?' 'Yes, but interesting to know that' says Gormley obviously horrified that some media people are looking to see what's he stuck on his windows.....
Anyway, Gormley says he is not politically motivated in trying to scrap or reduce the size of the incinerator, which is totally untrue. Actually, and John, you can go after me for this, you're lying. This is completely politically motivated and anybody who thinks otherwise is using complete SPiN.
The really, really funny thing was Gormley complaining that DCC had pushed through the deal before the election, so they could say they were following government policy. That's terrible. That's almost as bad as Dick Roche signing off the papers for the N3 bypass before Gormley could take his ministerial seat.
Also, Gormley was on about the fact that he wants to concentrate on MBT plants (Mechanical Biological Treatment) to handle certain waste materials, and indeed opened one only recently in Navan. Who operates this plant? Why Panda do. Is there a connection? No, other than the fact that Panda are one of the companies that raised the recent successful objection to try and halt the site or reduce its capacity.
This is big business talking here, We've got a battle against the existing waste management companies and a new bully on the block in the shape of Covanta. Then we have the political fallout between DCC and John Gormley. And now we have other government agencies involved like the National Development Finance Agency that agreed that the project was good value for money in 2007 and now the ESRI have made Gormley look like a complete mug.
This all stinks, and I mean that in every phrase of the word.
5 comments:
$200M incinerator deal took Lake to cleaners, critics say
By Martin E. Comas, Sentinel Staff Writer | February 15, 2009
OKAHUMPKA -- It's a deal that many have called the biggest boondoggle in Lake's history because when the bonds are paid off for the Covanta Energy garbage-burning plant in June 2014, the county will not own the plant. It's also a deal that forced higher garbage rates and taxes on residents and businesses to cover all those costs. Because of today's slumping economy, it's particularly painful. "Under that crazy contract, it hurts," County Commission Chairman Welton Cadwell said. In 1985, county commissioners approved bringing a power-producing garbage incinerator into the area.
Fact: Waste Must be Imported; Recycling Hit by Covanta Contract (Lake County, Florida)
[Because of Covanta Contract] "...we're also not promoting recycling in a big way right now."
- Waste Boss Daryl Smith, Lake County, Florida. Dec 2009.
Lake County, Florida, United States. Dec 27, 2009: Because of the feared shortage of local waste and its economic impact on Lake County, the county is desperately trying to import waste to feed its Covanta-incinerator. The contract has already cost Lake County taxpayers about $300 million more than they bargained for. Lawsuits have already lasted 20 years.
@ The Galway Tent
Oh look, there are too many targets here to hit:
Covanta, Panda and Greenstar who are, after all, only interested in making money for themselves and their shareholders.
John Gormley and the councillors who are directly elected but have various agendas to play for, Gormley because he wants to be re-elected and the councillors who want likewise but also have a bone to pick with the Irish based waste management companies.
And then the unelected city manager, who is trying to balance budgets in an almost possible situation.
Gormley's idea of a completely independent assessment of the contract with Covanta would have been a good one two years ago, but it's too late now, and no-one will believe it's genuinely independent.
"The really, really funny thing was Gormley complaining that DCC had pushed through the deal on the day or days before the coalition government was formed, so they could say they were following government policy."
Actually it was the days before the election.
Ah, thanks for that ryano. You know that I'm not in a position to pay moderators or editors yet? So two options here, either John Gormley was wrong about the time frame during his interview or I've misquoted him.
Well, seeing as John is having such a hard time lately, it's only fair that I edit that comment.
Thanks.
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