News from down the country

national | environment | news report Saturday September 26, 2009 15:48 by Copntaminated Crow

Five telemasts, an explosives factory, pylons, an incinerator, mine tailings, airport runway, quarry, CCTV system, two waste plants and turfcutting.

Residents of Annascaul, Co. Kerry opposing a telemast, have set up a Facebook page to link up with other communities facing the same problem: ‘We have only set it up and have been in contact with a group in Donegal…We’ll bring this to national level if we have to”, a spokesperson for Concerned Residents of Annascaul said; while members maintain a 24-hour presence at the site: “We’re serious about this. This week we have put up concrete blocks to stop deliveries from getting into the site” the spokesperson said. (Kerry’s Eye 24/9/09, p. 12).

Waterford County Council have requested further information from Hutchsinson 3G (H3G) on its proposed mast at Eagle Hill, Ballinamult. The Eagle Hill Mast Committee expressed surprise at the County Council’s extension of the deadline for H3G to submit information for an extra four months and commented “The applicants have shown a total lack of respect for the planning process and towards requests made of them by that process. Anything received from them in future should be treated with caution.” (Dungarvan Leader 25/9/09, p. 11).

Residents of Ballyduff Upper, near Lismore, Co. Waterford, formed a committee to fight a proposed H3G mast on Coillte-owned lands. A meeting in the local St. Michael’s Hall last Thursday heard testimony from a dairy farmer, John Ryan, who said his health and his cattle had been affected since 2002 by a nearby mast. (Dungarvan Leader 25/9/09, p. 7).

Residents of Leghowney, Co. Donegal have set up an action group to oppose a proposed broadband mast, with strong feelings expressed from the floor at the public meeting on the issue last Friday night. (Donegal Democrat 22/9/09, p. 9).

The Gleann an Oir Residents’ Association’s submission to Clare County Council over an application for a telemast at St. Senan’s, Ennis, raises questions about health effects, claiming ‘seven clusters of cancer and serious illness have been discovered around mobile phone mast’. (Clare Champion 25/9/09, p. 17)

Cairde Chill an Disirt Teo is to continue their battle despite An Bord Pleanala having given permission for an explosives factory at Cahercon, Kildysart, Co. Clare, considering taking a judicial review, while An Taisce is to make a formal complaint to the European Commission. The campaign against the proposal by Shannon Explosives has lasted ten years. (Clare Weekender 22/9/09, pp. 1,2; Clare Champion 25/9/09, p. 7).

EirGrid has commissioned the Tokyo Electric Power Company, a major Japanese utility, to produce a feasibility study on undergrounding high-power electricity cables. North East Pylon Pressure, opposing the north-south electricity interconnector, said the ease with which the east-west interconnector received planning permission was due to lack of community opposition, as that is to be undergrounded. (Meath Chronicle 26/9/09, p. 18).

A North East Against Incineration (NEAI) spokesperson has condemned the decision by An Bord Pleanala to hold its oral hearing on the College Proteins incinerator proposal fotr Nobber, Co. Meath in a hotel in Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan as ‘off the wall’and a great inconvenience to NEAI members, a large number of whom still intend to attend the oral hearing. (Meath Weekender 26/9/09, p. 4; Meath Chronicle 26/9/09, p. 6).

Nearly 300 residents of Co. Wexford have lodged objections to a plan by the Sea Fisheries’ Protection Agency to locate seven CCTV cameras in Kilmore Quay and two on Duncannon pier, claiming the ‘high-tech monstrosities’ would ‘blight the local landscape of our beautiful village… and infringe our civil and constitutional right to privacy.’ (Wexford Echo 23/9/09, pp. 22-23).

Local residents declared a ‘massive community victory’ when An Bord Pleanala turned down an application by Go Recycling for a waste transfer station near Castleconnell, Co. Limerick. (Limerick Leader 26/9/09, pp. 1,2; Clare Champion 25/9/09, p. 16).

The Department of the Environment is the latest objector to Sligo County C|ouncil’s granting of permission for an extension to Sligo Airport’s runway. (Sligo Weekender 22/9/09, p. 14).

Concern over the future of the landfill at Inagh, Co. Clare grew this week with the news that Clare County Council has been approached by a business person interested in taking it over. (Clare Champion 25/9/09, p. 6).

An Taisce has appealed the decision of Roscommon County Council to grant permission fro a quarry at Bealnamulla to An Bord Pleanala. (Westmeath Independent 26/9/09, p. 9).

Tara Mines has applied to Meath County Council for permission to extend its tailings pond at Randalstown, Navan to enable it to continue mining until at least 2018. (Meath Weekender 26/9/09, p. 15; Meath Chronicle 26/9/09, p. 9).

Over 300 people attended a meeting in Glinsk last Sunday called by the Turf Cutters and Operators’ Association (TCOA) at which 91-year old TCOA President Paddy Concannon received tumultuous applause when he said ‘We are cutting turf here for 103 years and I’m prepared to serve a term of imprisonment for this cause’. TCCA PRO Ming Flanagan expressed concern at government offers of compensation, saying ‘we were not there just to take the shilling.’ (Roscommon Herald 22/9/09, p. 1).