News from down the country

national | environment | news report Saturday March 14, 2009 20:19 by Contaminated Crow

A compost yard, two waste facilities, a windfarm, water extraction, possible lead mining and a council depot

The Kinaleck Environment Group (KEG) protested outside the March 9th meeting of Cavan County Council complaining of odour problems with the Foxfield Mushrooms’ compost yard at Omard, Co. Cavan. KEG chairperson Geraldine Hartin said ‘At one stage [the smell] was so bad we couldn’t even open our windows and it was coming in the vent in the dryer’ while KEG secretary Margaret Tully said ‘we believe the smell is causing health problems.’ (Cavan Post 10/3/09, p.4).

Judicial review proceedings taken by the Usk Residents and District Association against An Bord Pleanala and the Attorney General regarding the granting of planning permission for a Greenstar landfill last July began in the High Court on March 10th. (Leinster Leader 12/3/09, p.2).

The granting of planning permission for a two-turbine wind farm at Cloonlusk, near Tuam, Co. Galway has been appealed to An Bord Pleanala by local residents. (Tuam Herald 12/3/09, p.11).

An Bord Pleanala has given the go-ahead to Dillon Waste to expand its waste disposal facility in the Kerries area overlooking Tralee Bay in Co. Kerry, which had faced formal objections by a residents’ group and nine local residents individually, despite its inspector recommending that permission for the facility be refused. (Kerryman (sic) 11/3/09, p.7)

Martin McEnroe, chairperson of the Shannon Protection Alliance, told a public meeting in Dromineer, Co. Tipperary last Wednesday that the Alliance planned to lobby EU officials as part of its campaign to oppose the extraction of water from Logh Derg for Dublin City Council (DCC). A number of speakers at the meeting expressed concern at the involvement of Veolia, a large multinational involved in privatized water schemes around the world, in the proposed extraction project. A representative of the DCC consultants, RPS-Veolia, faced questions over a range of concerns when he spoke to last Monday’s meeting of Clare County Council. (Nenagh Guardian 14/3/09, pp. 1,7; Tipperary Star 14/3/09, p.1.20; Clare Champion 13/3/09, p.14)

Two drilling rigs have been moved on to the site of the old Kilbricken lead mine near Quin, Co. Clare, by Belmore Resources (Holdings) PLC to evaluate the company’s recent discovery of high grade lead and zinc at the site. Local residents who are concerned about the impact of mining on the local community and the environment have formed a Mine Action Committee to articulate their concerns. (Clare Champion 13/3/09, p.9).

The Shannon Town Woodlands Committee has called on Clare County Council to look at alternative locations for a proposed depot behind Shannon Town Hall after the Council withdrew its submission due to a clerical error. (Clare Champion 13/3/09, p.16).