News from down the country

national | environment | news report Monday February 02, 2009 22:29 by Contaminated Crow

Two landfills, an incinerator, pylons, a telemast, a sewage treatment plant, water extraction, a windfarm, two industrial parks and the return of animal health problems at Askeaton

Residents who live near the Kyletalesha landfill are holding a public meeting in the Macra Hall, Mountmellick, Co. Laois at 8PM on Monday 9th February on odour and other problems associated with the landfill. Leo Dunne, chairperson of the Derryguile and Kyletalesha Residents’ Association said while council officials guaranteed the odour problem would be tackled in 2006, the smells were worse than ever: ‘It’s been going on three years. There has been too many problems and too much sickness’ Mr. Dunne said, referring to 37 cancer deaths in the area which he linked to the landfill. (Leinster Express 28/1/09, pp. 2,17).

An appeal has been lodged against Limerick County Council’s granting of permission for 37 industrial buildings at Annacotty Business Park, Grange Upper, Co. Limerick by Gerard Kiely of Ballyvarna, Lisnagry, one of a number of objectors to the original planning application, who says residents already suffer from noise and pollution. (Limerick Leader 31/1/09, p.7).

The An Bord Pleanala decision on the proposed incinerator near Kill, Co. Kildare, is due next Monday. Liam McDermott, PRO of local opponents Rathcoole Against Incineration Dioxins (RAID) said the group is confident the incinerator will be refused permission. (Leinster Leader 29/1/09, p. 2).

North East Pylon Pressure (NEPP) is intensifying its fundraising with a draw with a prize of 250,000 Euro due to take place on February 12th. NEPP has also been invited by the operator of the Danish electricity service, Energinet, to attend a briefing next month on proposals to underground all future high power connections. (Meath Chronicle 31/1/09, p. 8).

The Ballaghdareen Environmental Action Group (BEAG) is seeking a meeting with the new Roscommon county manager to call for a closure date for the Ballaghdareen landfill. Myles Sweeney, BEAG spokesperson, said ‘Local households and residents have had a rough time since the opening of Cell 8 in early January. We have been engulfed with a strong odour, that can only be likened to rotten milk, for two to three weeks now.’ (Roscommon Herald 27/1/09, p. 1)

Gillogue Residents’ Association has issued an open letter to Clare county councillors calling for them to resist attempts to rezone the former manufacturing facility at the Gillogue Industrial Estate for heavy industry. (Clare Champion 30/1/09, p.8)

Local residents are holding a public meeting at 8PM on Tuesday 3rd February in the Community Centre, Annascaul, Co. Kerry in response to An Bord Pleanala’s granting of planning permission to Eircom for a 15-metre mast in the village against the recommendations of one of its own inspectors. One local resident said ‘We’re going to fight this all the way. There will be massive protest against this. We’ll have a chain of people around that site.’ (Kerryman (sic) 28/1/09, p.8).

Up to 40 people from Carraroe picketed Galway County Hall on Monday to object to plans to site a sewage treatment plant at a scenic peir at An Sruthan. The campaign, led by Coiste Cheibh an tSruthain, began almost a year ago when 300 people attended a public meeting in Carraroe where concerns about the site were raised. (Connacht Tribune 30/1/09, p.10).

The consultancy company evaluating various options to obtain new water supplies for Dublin told a meeting of Roscommon County Council this week that extraction of water from Lough Ree was unlikely to be a favoured option. Of the four preferred options, three involve extraction of water from Lough Derg or the Patreen basin, while the fourth involves a desalination project. (Roscommon Herald 27/1/09, p.12).

An Bord Pleanala has refused permission to Cruachan Wind Energy Limited for a windfarm at Lealetter, Moycullen, Co. Galway after An Taisce appealed against Galway County Council’s granting of permission for the development. (Connacht Tribune 30/1/09, p.8).

The Cappagh Farmers’ Support Group (CFSG) is seeking an urgent meeting with the Minister for Agriculture to discuss continuing animal health problems in the Cappagh and Askeaton area. Pat Geoghegan, spokesperson for the CFSG, said the group had been monitoring the situation since the Askeaton animal health investigation ended and many of the problems that were investigated then were still appearing: ‘Farmers in Cappagh/Askeaton and in the wider area have reported problems with the animals, including respiratory difficulties, animals not thriving and fertility problems.’ The farmers are concerned over a ‘red substance’ that seems to blow onto their lands occasionally, usually in dry windy conditions. (Limerick Leader 31/1/09, p.14).