West Wicklow awake to Rentokill cyanide plans

Tuesday June 17, 2008 12:19

by draoi

Call goes out from for people’s presence at demonstration against "disposal" of gas chamber chemical next Friday at 6pm.

SECRET PLANS to “dispose” of barrels of toxic hydrogen cyanide in Wicklow next week will not be tolerated, a packed
community hall in the village of Manor Kilbride in West Wicklow decided last night.

The lethal chemical was used as a weapon of mass murder in Nazi concentration camps under the commercial name Zyklon B and in Iraq by Saddam Hussein against the Kurdish people. It has also been used more recently for the control of insects in ships and buildings, hence its current possession in Ballymount Industrial Estate by UK-based Rentokill.

The proposed “disposal” by explosion is supposed to take place on military lands at Kilbride near Blessington. Despite the fact that the location is in Wicklow, South Dublin County Council is apparently the lead authority for the plans to “dispose” of the chemical by explosive, likely next Monday 23 June.

Families living beside the military lands at Kilbride have been asked by Gardai to evacuate their homes. This begs the question as to how the “disposal” is safe. The site also borders the the Shankill river, which feeds the Poulaphouca Reservoir / Blessington lakes, one of two major sources of Dublin's water supply. It is also beside the Wicklow Mountains National Park, famed for its biodiversity of flora and fauna and large number of visitors. The West Wicklow area has been historically a place for the legal and illegal “disposal” of waste and the health and safety ramifications of this fact continue to this day. There are also very real fears that this will set a precedent for the location to be used in the future for similar “disposal” into our air and water supply.

There has been absolutely no public consultation about the secret plans, which only emerged last week when the story was broken by the Wicklow People newspaper. This was one which was supposed to be kept under wraps. The risk assessment for the “disposal” plans are not yet complete and no elements of the secret plans been made available to the public by South Dublin County Council or Rentokill.

Crucially, the public has not been informed of emergency planning procedures that may or may not be in place. In a familiar pattern of secrecy by the political elite, the South Dublin County Council (SDCC) manager Joe Horan, Wicklow County Council manager Eddie Sheehy and the Minister for the Environment John Gormley have both been aware of the plans for months but failed inform the public. The Environmental “Protection” Agency has also not returned calls to concerned members of the public. The secret plan is being managed by SDCC official John Quinlivin.

Former soldier and Fine Gael TD Billy Timmins told the jammed hall of people from Dublin and Wicklow that problems could also arise with the actual transportation of the hydrogen cyanide. South Dublin County Councillor Mark Daly (SF) spoke of his fears for his own constituents in Tallaght, through which the cyanide will travel. TD Timmins understands that if there is a problem en route, the chemical will be dealt with by explosion there and then. Bizarrely, the hydrogen cyanide is in a safe condition where it is currently being stored in Rentokill, according to a (hastily released) press release issued by South Dublin County Council. This begs the question as to why the proposed “disposal” will take place, the meeting was told.

PDFORRA, which represents soldiers, sailors and airmen of the Defence Forces, are also understood to be concerned at the disposal plans for the heavily used army rifle range. It is understood that the Irish army personnel are to leave the lands during the proposed “disposal” and are not even involved with the planned explosion. Instead, former British army soldiers will be carrying out the explosion of the hydrogen cyanide at the military camp which was handed over to Ireland 83 years ago.

No publically elected councillors in Wickow or South Dublin were informed of the matter as the Waste Management Act apparently allows decisions such as this to be made without consultation. The meeting last night in Kilbride was chaired and addressed by Sinn Féin councillors Gerry O'Neill and John Brady, who have taken the lead on this matter and have requested urgent meetings with the people involved including Minister for our Environment John Gormley. Other political and legal avenues are also being explored.

Meanwhile, the first in a series of peaceful direct action demonstrations was called for 6pm Friday at the Kilbride rifle range in Wicklow. Location map below. Public transport: get 65 bus from Dublin city along N81 to Kilbride and then an hour stroll / hitch along country road (bring visible clothing). There will be people going that way at that time that will give a lift. This matter concerns us all and all are welcome. But maybe bring a gas mask just in case.