Fingal County Council has finalised and made the Fingal Sludge Management Plan (SMP) following review last year (2013) that included a period of public consultation.
The Fingal Sludge Management Plan details proposals for dealing with non-hazardous sludges arising in Fingal from a number of sources, including Agriculture, Industry, Water Treatment and Wastewater Treatment. It recommends a sludge hub centre to be co-located on the site of the proposed Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant (WwTP), as part of the Greater Dublin Drainage project, to treat and thermally dry municipal wastewater sludges arising in Fingal.
These proposals are considered the most appropriate for sludge produced within the Fingal area, from an environmental, technical and cost perspective.
The finalised Fingal Sludge Management Plan and associated Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) documents are now available to view online at http://www.fingal.ie/water-and-drainage/water-projects/fingal-sludge-management-plan and at Fingal County Council offices in Main Street Swords and Grove Road, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15.
Background
As the original Fingal Sludge Management Plan was completed in 2002 it needed to be reviewed in the current context, including population increases in Fingal since 2002, changes in land use and industrial facilities in the County and to take into account the proposed Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant as part of the Greater Dublin Drainage Project. Potential outcomes of the Fingal SMP 2013 with respect to the management of wastewater sludges have been considered in all work done to date for the Greater Dublin Drainage project.
The Draft Fingal SMP and associated SEA Environmental Report were made available for public consultation from the 25th of March until the 17th of May 2013. The Natura Impact Statement was made available for public consultation from 15th of April until the 17th of May 2013. During this time feedback from the public and stakeholders was received. Based on these submissions, a revised SMP and an SEA Statement have been prepared.
Details of the feedback from the consultation period are available in the ‘Public Consultation Issues Report” which is available along with the final Fingal SMP and SEA Statement at http://www.fingal.ie/water-and-drainage/water-projects/fingal-sludge-management-plan.
An Appropriate Assessment (AA) was also carried out on the SMP. The Natura Impact Statement, prepared to inform the Assessment concluded that the Fingal SMP will not have an adverse impact on the integrity of any Natura 2000 sites.
