News from down the country

national | environment | news report Saturday November 15, 2008 22:27 by Contaminated Crow

Incineration, pylons, telemasts, water extraction, waste, wind fatm, coalminers, marina and more waste

Objectors to plans by College Proteins to erect an incinerator at Nobber, Co. Meath have been heartened by news that An Bord Pleanala is considering not proceeding with the oral hearing into the project, which it adjourned recently when a local farmer revealed he owned five acres of the site on which College Proteins planned to locate its incinerator. (Meath Chronicle 15/11/08, p. 5)

North East Pylon Pressure (NEPP) is to hold four public meetings over the next fortnight to update supporters on the latest developments regarding Eirgrid’s proposals to erect pylons across Counties Cavan, Meath and Monaghan. NEPP chairperson Francis Lally said ‘This wave of public meetings clearly signals that, far from fading away, NEPP will intensify our campaign over the coming months’. The meetings are to be held at the Old Darnley Lodge Hotel, Athboy (November 13th); Headford Arms Hotel, Kells (November 18th); Carrick Court Hotel, Carrickmacross (November 21st) and Knightsbrook Hotel, Trim (November 25th), all at 8PM sharp. (Anglo-Celt 13/11/08, p.10; Meath Chronicle 15/11/08, p. 4)

A local Donegal councilor confronted Minister John Gormley last week with a demand to investigate the continued operation of a O2 Communications telemast at Pettigo, Co. Donegal, whose 5-year planning permission expired recently without the company applying for retention. (Donegal Democrat 13/11/08, p. 16a).

Consultants for Dublin City Council are considering storing water extracted from Lough Derg in a new man-made reservoir or lake in the midlands at Rochfortbridge or Portarlington. Local groups in Tipperary are strongly opposed to the proposed water extraction. (Nenagh Guardian 13/11/08, p. 5)

Cavan Better Waste Management (CBWM) are holding a public meeting at 8.00 PM on Monday November 24th at the Hotel Kilmore, Cavan, to mobilize opposition to the proposal by Oxigen to process 200,000 tonnes of waste annually at a proposed recycling park and biological treatment plant adjacent to its landfill site at Corranure, near Cavan town. CBWM spokesperson Cian Murtagh said ‘We’re ruling nothing out. The smells that are coming from that area are terrible the last couple of weeks, and indeed since Oxigen took over. If they can’t manage the bad smells from the existing landfill, I wouldn’t trust them to properly manage this first of a kind, high-tech massive biological treatment plant.’ (Anglo-Celt 13/11/09, p.7)

An Taisce and the Department of the Environment have separately objected to permission granted by Galway County Council to Western Power Ltd. to erect a wind farm consisting of eight turbines at Lettercraffoe, four miles from Oughterard, Co. Galway. Both bodies fear the development could lead to landslides, while the Department is also concerned about possible environmental effects on nearby rivers and lakes. (Connacht Tribune 14/11/08, p.4).

Local residents of Derryclure, Co. Offaly, are reported to be angry at an application by Offaly County Council to increase waste intake at the landfill site at Derryclure from 40,000 to 100,000 tonnes annually, with some claiming that the County Council gave them to believe that the landfill, opened in 1977, would close after ten years. (Tullamore Tribune 12/11/08, p.9).

The National Coalminers’ Group (NCG) decided at a meeting in Portlaoise last Saturday to organize a march on Dail Eireann early in 2009. NCG member Seamus Walsh said ‘Seven miners from the Kilkenny-Laoise area have died since June. Are we going to wait until no-one at all is left alive?’ (Kilkenny People 14/11/08, p. 8).

The local Ballina Marina Action group has expressed concern over the size of the 60 million Euro shoreline development, including a 236-berth marina, at Ballina, Co. Tipperary for which Eclipse Developments have submitted a planning application to North Tipperary County Council. (Tipperary Star 15/11/08, p. 1.12)

The Browne family, whose house opposite Moneypoint power station in Killimer, Co. Clare is often affected by ash which drifts across from the power plant, have expressed concern at plans by ESB International to erect a 30 metre high telemast 122 metres from their house and have asked the company to move the mast further away from their house. (Clare Champion 14/11/08, p.13).

Confirming its application to increase the tonnage of waste accepted at its landfill at Knockharley, Co. Meath, was to be lodged on November 15th, Greenstar denied claims by Knockharley and District Residents’ Association (KDRA) that it was ‘completely untrue’ that the company had been keeping the local community informed. KDRA also complained that Greenstar had failed to attend a public meeting it had organized despite being invited by registered letter four times: Greenstar replied it considered its own two-day information at the landfill a good opportunity to engage with the local community. (Meath Chronicle 15/11/08, p3).