A citizen group based in Cork which is against a planned incinerator in Ringaskiddy has criticised Indaver Ireland’s application for an emission licence despite a pending court judgment on the validity of planning permission.

As GreenNews.ie reports, Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment (CHASE) said that it has been recently informed by Indaver of its plans to proceed with an application to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

“Indaver are obviously presuming that their permission will stand in advance of any High Court decision, which we believe is a premature assumption,” Mary O’Leary, Chairperson of CHASE said.

Ms O’Leary reiterated the group’s concerns about the health implications of living near an incinerator, reasoning that scientific studies have shown that “particles coming out of incinerators are more toxic than for other combustion processes”.

A new study carried out by Chinese researchers has revealed that fine particles emitting from urban waste-to-energy plants can“contain high amount of toxic compounds and pose a serious threat to environment and human health”.

The High Court commenced hearing the controversial incinerator case earlier in March with no final judgment issued yet.

For further reading on this story click here.

#BoatTheft - The Garda Air Support Unit gave chase to three teenagers on a stolen powerboat along the east coast yesterday (Sunday 24 May), as the Irish Independent reports.

The trio of thieves took the 40ft high-powered yacht from Dun Laoghaire Harbour some time after 5.30am and headed as far as Wexford before turning back towards Wicklow.

After they were spotted near Greystones after lunchtime operating the "incredibly powerful boat in a very reckless manner", they led gardaí on a dangerous chase putting many other coastal boat users at risk.

The Irish Independent has more on the story HERE.

Update: Wicklow News has images of the stolen boat being towed back to the marina by Dun Laoghaire RNLI.