Abbott’s latest expansion plan appealed by An Taisce
An Taisce says the “modelling” of Cootehill’s Abbott factory operation and “any other bovine dairy processing plant” on the basis of current milk supply is “no longer tenable”.
The comments by Ireland’s national trust form part of its objection to a decision by Monaghan County Council to grant planning permission to Abbott to extend its infant formula manufacturing facility at Dromore West.
Abbott’s latest plans for the site were lodged after a High Court judicial review quashed a separate An Bord Pleanála decision to uphold the granting of permission to expand the existing facility.
The new plans seek an additional 443.50sqm of warehousing space; a 327.2sqm laboratory area, and ancillary office and staff facilities of 951.10sqm over four storeys with an overall height of 15.8m from ground level.
It also looked to change the use of an existing warehouse area to accommodate a tower, which will facilitate ingredient storage and blending (2134.2sqm/ 22.7m in height), and associated internal floorspace extending to six storeys to include offices (87.3sqm) and 1115.3sqm storage space.
An expansion to the rear of the existing facility, meanwhile, proposes accommodating four powder silos (776.1sqm) over five storeys (20.8m), as well was placing an additional first floor office (42.8sq.m) within an existing warehouse.
The plans provide for the demolition and removal of existing prefabricated office structures, and the development of a new 463.6sqm standalone water treatment plant, with three existing water tanks to be relocated and incorporated.
The plant near Cootehill first opened in 1975 and directly employs more than 370 staff, and indirectly 100 more.
Abbott’s application states that the facility has capacity to generate 90 million pounds (lbs) of infant formula annually from 153 million gallons of milk.
A report by AWN Consulting states the proposed expansion will enable Abbott to pack 40 million pounds of the same product into flexible pouches annually, with the remaining 50 million lbs packed in metal cans as per current practice.
As such, the planning consultants claim, the development “does not constitute an increase” in capacity but rather the “diversification of existing lines” for the same output.
There will also be no increase in emissions as a result.
Up to 60 jobs will be created during construction, which is expected to take two years to complete if sanctioned.
An Taisce however contends “the proposed development is a significant alteration of the permitted facility”, and head of advocacy, Ian Lumley, states that the organisation has “grave concerns” regarding the extension, both “within the existing site and against the background of the surrounding environment” in the context of “compatibility” with existing and continuing bovine milk production and climate action requirements.
“All dairy processing facilities need to reduce direct and indirect impacts in upstream milk supply, and resource consumption to meet climate action, biodiversity and sustainable land use production and diversification to more plant based production,” he says.
The issue of sustainable food production, he adds, applies to infant nutrition as much as other milk processing production streams where UN agencies and the World Health Organisation advocate for advancing breastfeeding as the “optimal source of infant nutrition”.
Regarding water abstraction, Mr Lumley argues the Abbott plant is dependent on drawing water from the Dromore River lake system, but contends that the company’s documentation accompanying applications over the last 20 years have been “systemically deficient” in information and mitigation of impact, particularly in drought conditions.
Mr Lumley also makes a case with regard to the potential environmental impact of water discharge.
An Taisce’s conclusion note insists: “It is incumbent that An Bord Pleanála directs the applicant to submit both remedial Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and EIA for ongoing and proposed revised development, so that the full impacts of the existing and ongoing development on the surrounding environment can be properly understood.”
READ MORE