An environmental group has challenged representatives of NI's top supermarket chains to put their position on the proposed Moy Park chicken waste incinerator to a public meeting in Glenavy this week.

Following the recent statement by Stormont Environment Minister Edwin Poots that he was "minded to reject overwhelming demands for a public inquiry" and grant planning permission for the chicken litter incinerator proposed for Lough Neagh, Communities Against The Lough Neagh Incinerator (CALNI) is holding a public meeting at Ballymacricket Primary School, Glenavy at 7.30pm on Thursday 23rd September.

Ray Clarke, Chairman of CALNI explained: "We have invited the Chief Executive of Moy Park, as well as the regional directors of the major supermarkets who sell local poultry and who have made a strong public commitment to preserving the environment.

"Each supermarket claims impressive ethical values and credentials in supporting the environment and some claim they are working to eliminate dependence on 'combustion' as a waste management tool," he said.

"As consumers we need to know what they think of Moy Park as an important supplier actively pursuing the building of a massive incinerator as a first resort to solving its waste issue," the protestor continued.

"We hope they will agree that Lough Neagh is an outstanding natural resource for the whole of Northern Ireland and needs to be protected.

"We have currently applied for a judicial review and have written formally to the European Commission to draw to their attention to the threat to the environment around the Lough and the flagrant flaunting of European directives and protection designations," he continued.

"We are also deeply concerned for jobs in the wider area including those of local farmers, fishermen and companies such as Randox.

"We are confident that the supermarkets will have the integrity to come and explain their position as in the long term we will have a blight on our landscape and a very real threat to the health of our community who are their customers."

Some 7,000 people have objected to the incinerator proposal.

The CALNI Group has spent £400,000 to date and will use further significant resources to fight the incinerator planning permission using various retained planning, environmental and legal experts.

(BMcC/GK)