Ballymount Oxigen recycling plant to rise from the ashes

By Laura Lyne

THE Oxigen recycling plant in Ballymount, which was destroyed by a major fire in January 2014, it set to be rebuilt.

Plans for the development were submitted by Oxigen Environmental to South Dublin County Council on July 22, with a decision on whether the development can go ahead by the middle of September.

The fire at the Oxigen recycling plant burned for five-and-a-half days and gutted the company’s recycling facility, with families in homes as far as Crumlin being woken during the night by the sound of “minor explosions”.

The application will see the “reconstruction and reinstatement” of the waste facility recycling buildings.

Included within the plans is the reconstruction of a 5,570 sq m single-storey recycling shed and a single-storey garage, workshop and storage sheds with a floor area of 1,370 sq m.

The reconstruction of two-storey staff facilities of 324 sq m is also proposed, to facilitate the reinstatement of the existing facility building.

Following the blaze, a report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said that there was “no significant potential for any long-term health impacts” as a result of the incident.

High-speed winds in the local area at the time assisted the dispersion of the smoke plume produced by the fire, reducing its wind concentration.

Calls to the government were made by local councillors following the fire to conduct a review of waste management licences throughout Dublin city.

An €18,000 fine was issued to Oxigen by the EPA for its actions in the run-up to the fire, with the EPA saying the penalty was for holding waste that was likely to endanger human health or harm the environment.

A decision on the application for the redevelopment of the facility is due by September 15, with third party submissions accepted until August 25.