News from down the country

national | environment | news report Monday April 06, 2009 22:49 by Contaminated Crow

Two telemasts, a quarry, an organic waste facility, a power plant, a landfill, a holiday resort and two powerlines

A delegation of residents from Mornington Heights, Trim, Co. Meath, presented a petition signed by over 600 people to the HSE in Kells on Monday asking for a full health assessment in the area, which they consider suffers an unusually high rate of cancer. Residents are concerned over nearby telemasts and are also planning to have a radon test carried out. (Meath Chronicle 4/4/09, p.8).

Residents of Leixlip who are concerned over the effects of telemasts at the new garda station there were addressed at a meeting by a Swedish expert on electro-magnetic radiation, neuroscientist Prof. Olle Johansson of Stockholm, who told the audience that there was no safe level for electro-magnetic radiation. (Leinster Leader 2/4/09, p.7).

A proposal by Lagan Bitumen Ltd. to site a 40-acre quarry in Ruan, Co. Clare, will be delayed as the Department of the Environment has requested a year-long bat survey at the site, which is close to protected bat nativity roosts. (Clare People 31/3/09, p.11).

Foynes and District Community Council is to appeal to An Bord Pleanala against permission given by Limerick County Council to Greenport Environmental, a subsidiary of Mr. Binman, for an organic waste facility in Foynes, Co. Limerick. (Limerick Leader 4/4/09, p. 10).

Opposition to the proposed Constant Energy Ltd. power plant at Cashla, Athenry, Co. Galway, has resulted in the lodging of a record number of objections with Galway County Council, already exceeding the number lodged against the Kilconnell landfill some years ago. Last week around 200 children from Lisheenkyle National School were coached to County Hall to hand in letters objecting to the proposal to planning officials. (Connacht Tribune 3/4/09, p.24).

Laois County Council has rejected claims by the Kyletalesha and Derryguile Residents’ Association that it doesn’t make sense to continue expanding the Kyletalesha landfill due to a recent drop in the tonnage of waste deposited there. (Leinster Express 1/4/09, p. 5).

A bilingual An Bord Pleanala oral hearing into the proposed 100kv power line from Binbane to Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, began in Gallagher’s Hotel, Letterkenny last Tuesday. Many of the submissions by concerned local residents and action groups relate to the powerline’s visual impact on areas of high scenic beauty. (Donegal Democrat 2/4/09, p. 5a).

An Taisce has said it will request an independent inquiry into why Clare County Council granted permission to a proposed 100 million Euro holiday resort at Tinarana House in Ogonnelloe, Co. Clare, near Lough Derg, which contravened the local development plan. The proposal was refused last week by An Bord Pleanala. (Clare Champion 3/4/09, p.6).

Both the County Monaghan Anti-Pylon Committee (CMACP) and county councilor Owen Bannigan (FG) have responded to recent attacks by North-East Pylon Pressure (NEPP) by rejecting NEPP’s allegations. The CMACP statement said it ‘does not intend to enter into a media confrontation with NEPP… We believe it would be in neither group’s long term interest and serve only to undermine our joint common goal of having the 400kV powerlines put underground’. (Northern Standard 2/4/09, p. 36).