A builder who burned waste wood because he couldn’t dispose of it at an amenity site got ‘a slap on the hand,’ according to Cllr Danny Collins.

In a notice of motion at the monthly meeting of the West Cork Municipal District, the Independent Ireland councillor called on the local authority’s engineering department to find a solution for the many carpenters and builders in West Cork who are now building up a stockpile of waste wood, which he described as ‘a safety hazard.’

Cllr Collins pointed out there is an Environment Protection Agency (EPA) directive banning civic amenity sites from taking waste wood cuttings from carpenters and construction sites and he asked: ‘What was their logic to this rule and what is the solution?’

The acting director of service, planning and environment, Ger Barry said the local authority is not aware of any direction from the EPA about timber cut-offs.

Cllr Isobel Towse (SD) pointed out that there is an issue regarding timber recycling.

She said untreated timber can be reused, but the disposal of treated timber, which had paint and other substances applied to it, is becoming an issue and is not being accepted at civic amenity sites.

She said: ‘We need to take this as an opportunity to find re-use applications for treated timber which constitutes around 90% of timber waste at civic amenity sites.

In reply to her questions why incinerators are not taking timber anymore, Cllr Towse said she was told: ‘The incinerators have just reduced the volume of timber that they take this year in part due to the good summer where the need for power was reduced, and the increase in solar power sources.

She said she also asked the council if it could sort the untreated timber and distribute it, or sell it, as firewood?

But she was told: ‘The timber taken from our civic amenity sites is separated into reusable timber, otherwise known as ‘virgin timber’ and contaminated timber, which has been painted or treated timber, plywood, or mdf by the contractor.’

The Social Democrat councillor said she was informed that the amount of timber at civic amenity sites that can be used is generally between 5% and 10% and this can be reused by companies like Eirebloc in Macroom who make parts for the pallet industry.

The remainder is not considered reusable due to the mixed nature of the loads and the array of treatments used on the various timbers.

However, she said treated timber can be recycled for some outdoor use such as fencing, and for industry and building. Cllr Towse said she was informed that by the time the sites get the timber in most cases it is gone to the point wheree it is  beyond use.