Galway County Council unanimously rejected the controversial Waste Management Plan for Connacht for a second time yesterday.
Instead, it proposed to prepare its own plan for the city and county which would focus on waste reduction, recycling and landfill.
Councillors criticised the actions of the Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey, in introducing legislation which would strip local authorities of their waste management powers and overturn any decision they might make.
The Waste Management Amendment Bill, 2001 is due to come before the Dail within the next week or so. If it is passed, it is likely to be challenged in the courts.
Fine Gael TD Mr Paul Connaughton said the legislation was the most draconian to be drawn up for years and the worst blow to local democracy in a long time.
The council decided unanimously to reject the plan yesterday after a heated two-hour discussion. It voted instead to prepare a waste management plan for Co Galway which would also cater for waste produced in the city through waste reduction, reuse, recycling and landfill.
Cllr Joe Callanan (FF), proposing rejection of the plan, pointed out that nothing had changed since the council first rejected the plan last September. He said it would not take long to draw up the type of plan the county wanted.
Cllr Matt Loughnane (FF) seconded the proposal and said the reason the county was in the present mess was because of past failures in relation to waste proposals. "We are in the mess we are now in because of the inaction, ineffectualness and at times bad handling of the issue of waste disposal."
Mr Dempsey was accused by Cllr Pat Hynes (Ind) of being "undemocratic, vindictive and dictatorial" in trying to ram the Connacht plan down the throats of the people of Galway.
Cllr Jimmy McClearn (FG) said it would entail some loss of face for the Minister to admit he got it wrong but he would be foolish to continue down the road he was on. Fine Gael Deputy Ulick Burke said councillors would be damned for the rest of their lives as representatives of the county if they accepted the plan, which includes incineration.
There would be no problem in identifying a suitable location for a landfill site in the county if they were given the opportunity, he said, pointing out that the three earmarked sites at New Inn, Kilcrickle and Newbridge were unsuitable.
Cllr Michael Mullins (FG) pointed out that time was running out for the county as the Ballinasloe landfill site would soon be full.
He said many councillors had met business interests which could work with the council to provide a solution to the waste management problem which could be prepared in six months and could be up and running in 18 months.
