News from down the country

national | environment | news report Saturday August 29, 2009 15:23 by Contaminated Crow

Four telemasts, two superdumps, two waste projects, a quarry, a bogslide, turf-cutting and a World Heritage Site bid

Kerry County Council, which had received nearly 40 letters of objection, including one from the Glenbeigh Residents’ Association, last week refused permission for a 24-metre telemast at Ballintleave Commons, Glenbeigh, Co. Kerry. (Kerryman (sic) (North) 26/8/09, p. 12).

A large crowd attended a public meeting last week in Granard, Co. Longford, in opposition to plans by Teltra Ireland to extend the height of an existing telemast at Barrack Street Garda Station. ( Longford News 26/8/09, p. 3).

The Comeragh Community Development Group is holding a public meeting at 8PM on Thursday in St. Brigid’s Hall, Killrossanty, Co. Waterford, to oppose plans by 3Ireland to erect a 30-metre telemast near the Mahon Falls beauty spot in Mahon Bridge, Co. Waterford. (Waterford News and Star 25/8/09, p. 6).

An Bord Pleanala has turned down an appeal by a local resident against the granting of permission to ESB Telecoms Ltd to erect a 20-metre telemast at Littlemill, Dundalk, Co. Louth. (Dundalk Argus 26/8/09, p. 17).

An Bord Pleanala has refused Offaly County Council’s proposal for a regional superdump by increasing waste intake at Derryclure landfill from 40,000 to 100,000 tonnes per annum. (Tullamore Tribune 27/8/09, p. 1; Westmeath Independent 29/8/09, p. 2)

Laois County Council is to undertake a ‘technical dialogue’ with ‘interested market participants’ in relation to the possible privatisation of the county’s superdump at Kyletalesha. (Leinster Express 26/8/09, p. 2).

Kerry County Council last week refused permission to Kerry Central Recycling Facility Ltd. for a recycling facility near Farranfore, Co. Kerry. Local objectors had formed the Scart/Caherdean Concerned Residents’ Committee to oppose the project and over 120 letters of objection were submitted to the County Council. (Kerryman (sic) (North) 26/8/09, p. 10).

An Bord Pleanala has given the go-ahead to Barna Waste Ltd. to construct a waste transfer station at Aughaluista, near Ballaghdareen, Co. Roscommon, despite objections by the Ballaghdareen Environmental Action Group and the Aughaluista Residents’ Group. (Roscommon Herald 25/8/09, p. 1; Western People 25/8/09, p. 2).

An Taisce has appealed to An Bord Pleanala against permission granted by Cavan County Council to P & S Civil Works Ltd. to expand its quarrying operations at Mullymagowan, Stradone, Co. Cavan. (Anglo-Celt 27/8/09, p. 7).

Local landowners affected by the massive bogslide at Lyrecompane, Co. Kerry in August 2008 are to take legal proceedings against Tra Investments, the company which had begun to construct a windfarm in the Maghanknockane area of Lyrecompane two weeks prior to the landslide. (Kerryman (sic)(North) 26/8/09, p. 4).

Having fired the opening shots in its campaign to defend turf-cutting by farm families by submitting a 40-page contribution to the government commission on turf-cutting, the Turf Cutters’ and Contractors’ Association (TCCA) is moving ahead with its campaign to warn the ‘hundreds of thousands of people affected by the much-feared bog evictions’ before the Lisbon referendum. TCCA believes the eventual result of government policy is that domestic turf-cutting will be criminalised. (Roscommon Herald 25/8/09, p. 15)

Some 400 submissions have been made to the Department of the Environment regarding the proposal to nominate Clonmacnois as a World Heritage Site, many being petition-style letters raising concerns over the impact of the bid on farming practices and turf-cutting, as well as visitor facilities and planning restrictions. (Westmeath Independent 29/8/09, p. 9).