Aughinish Alumina gets red mud pond expansion permission at West Limerick refinery until 2039

An Bord Pleanála, an independent, statutory, quasi-judicial body in the Republic of Ireland, has granted permission to the Russian-owned Aughinish Alumina Limited to enlarge its bauxite residue disposal area (BRDA) on the Shannon Estuary to continue to operate until 2039.

The permission followed a formal application by the refinery last year, notwithstanding several oppositions from local farmers and environment groups like Environmental Trust Ireland and Futureproof Clare.

The BRDA, also known as red mud pond, currently has a capacity for bauxite reside until 2030 at the refinery site in West Limerick. The new expansion plan will extend the lifetime of the BRDA until 2039, enabling the residue deposition of 1 million m3 per annum and even 8 million m3 as projected for the future.

The expansion of BRDA also includes increasing the height of the area by 12 metre.

On behalf of the Cappagh Farmers Support Group, Pat Geoghegan opposed the BRDA expansion plan, claiming “it will exacerbate the potential for an environmental disaster and it would put huge pressure on the existing embankment walls.”

Environmental Trust Ireland said the expansion of red mud pond would soon bring an environmental catastrophe.

But Bord Pleanala Inspector, Paul Caprani, argued that these observations came with no substantial evidence that the BRDA was structurally deficient to cause any breakout. In fact, the evidences came before the board suggest a very thin or no chance for breakout, he added.

In response to objections, planning consultants for Aughinish Alumina, Tom Phillips and Associates, stated: “any suggestion that the existing facility at Aughinish will exacerbate threats to the environment and to human and animal health is not supported by evidence”.

The consultants also reminded that bauxite residue is considered a non-hazardous waste under the European Waste Code.