11 treated after leak at week-old Poolbeg plant
ELEVEN workers were hospitalised following an uncontrolled release of lime at Dublin’s controversial €500million Poolbeg incinerator – which has been operational for just one week.
The incident occurred at the waste to energy plant at 11pm on Wednesday and 11 scaffolding contractors were treated at the scene before being transferred to St Vincent’s Hospital for observation.
Nine of the workers were discharged while two were kept in for further examination overnight.
The Health and Safety Authority were informed of what had occurred at 6am yesterday and described the release as a ‘dangerous occurrence’.
The staff reported feelings of nausea and blurred vision after they were inadvertently exposed to a small amount of lime which was released inside the flue gas treatment area.
The exposure has been attributed to a problem with a door seal.
A spokesperson for Dublin Waste to Energy Ltd said: ‘Late on Wednesday night a small amount of lime was inadvertently released inside the flue gas treatment area during the commissioning and testing of the Dublin Waste to Energy plant. At the time, there were a number of workers in an adjacent area.
‘Combustion Unit No.1, which was operating at the time, was shut down in an orderly and controlled manner. The lime was contained within the building and did not escape into the environment and the incident had no impact whatsoever outside the plant.’
The Environmental Protection Agency and the Health and Safety Authority have launched an investigation.
Social Democrats councillor, Cian O’Callaghan, raised concerns about Covanta’s track-record.
‘The operators of the incinerator, Covanta, have accumulated a record of fines for breaches of environmental protections and standards in North America.
‘This serious discharge within days of operations commencing raises questions about the appointment of Covanta.’
The development of the plant has been met with opposition from locals since it was proposed in 1997. Dublin city councillors voted down the project in September 2014, but it went ahead despite the council’s objections.