The Fight Against Lagan Cement

national | environment | news report

Friday June 10, 2005 15:11

by Jon Glackin - Street Seen

streetseen at hotmail dot co dot uk

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The residents of the quiet little county parish of Ballinabrackey / Castlejordan are pitted against the industrial strength and wealth of Cement giant Lagan

The residents of the quiet little county parish of Ballinabrackey / Castlejordan are pitted against the industrial strength and wealth of Cement giant Lagan regarding plans to burn the waste material Meat Bone Meal as a fuel source at the Lagan Killaskillen Cement Plant. A calculated campaign of planning permission by stealth has seen the Cement giant manipulate and change the initial criteria to it's planning permision in only three short years since the plant's opening. The changes have had little regard to the Cement giants neighbors and has made life unbearable for many residents who suffer blasting noises at undesignated times, super tankers driving at speed along small county lanes endangering the life of children, structural damage to their homes, depreciation of the water quality of underground aquifers, synergistic effects to asthmatic tics, illegal dumping of sludge type waste materials in communal bog areas, showering of the local community with ash from un explained accidents.

This small community has had enough of the erosion of the quality of their lives and have made a stand against the Cement giants with a Blue Flag Campaign, of all residences opposed to the proposal, regular Saturday morning marches of over 100 men women and children in the closest populace of Kinnegad, Public meetings attracting 100's from near and far to hear from speakers and voice their own opinions, and the presentation to Meath Co. Council of over 300 objections.

The next public meeting will be this Friday the 10th of June in the Phoenix Hotel Kinnegad, with guest speaker Jack O'Sullivan environmental law specialist,. To be followed on Saturday by another March from 11:00am in the main street of Kinnegad. In the near future it is planned to take Days of Action against Lagan. such as road blockades in and out the plant, returns of promotional material illegally dumped on doorsteps of neighbors.