News from down the country

national | environment | news report Saturday September 12, 2009 15:29 by Contaminated Crow

A quarry, turfcutting, asbestos waste, a landfill, a compost plant, pylons and four telemasts

Over 300 local residents attended a meeting last Thursday at the Lord Bagenal Hotel to express opposition to plans proposed by Dan Morrissey Ltd. (DML) to Carlow County Council to close sections of two local roads. Local residents attacked the maps produced by quarry operators DML as inaccurate and local electrician Eddie Galway condemned ‘selling roads to a private company for profit. There is no reason for these roads to close only that Morrissey’s want the land underneath them. If this goes ahead, there is a problem with planning in Carlow County Council’. The local paper has seen copies of Carlow County Council documents obtained by a local resident which confirms that the quarry the road closures are intended to facilitate had not been registered under the Planning Act 2000, while DML had received not less than seven planning extensions in relation to the quarry it operates at Clonmelsh/Garryhundon. The documents also show that Carlow County Council was aware since at least April 2006 that the company operates ‘a number of quarries’ that are ‘separated geographically’ in the area rather than the one quarry the company was seeking to register. The resident who obtained the documents said ‘It seems Morrissey’s have continuously been able to get extension rather than register their quarry, and the question is why?’. (Carlow Nationalist 11/9/09, pp.1,2,7).

More than 200 people attended a meeting last Friday at Abbeyknockmoy, Co. Galway on proposed turfcutting restrictions called by the Turfcutters and Contractors Association (TCA) at which a detailed breakdown of bog usage was presented showing that only approximately 0.5% of raised bog over the last ten years had been removed by domestic turfcutting. Michael Fitzmaurice, TCA chairperson told the meeting that in the past Irish people had fought for their lands and they would fight as intensely to keep their bogs and turf. The TCA is planning further meetings over the next few weeks in Cork, Donegal, Kerry and Sligo. (Connacht Tribune 11/9/09, p. 4).

Laois County Council has issued a notice to the Booth Partnership to clean up a site they own at Mountrath Road, Portlaoise, which contains asbestos waste, by the end of the month. (Laois Nationalist 11/9/09, pp.1,4).

Clare County Council is considering closing or selling its 11 million Euro landfill at Inagh, Co. Clare, due to the declining amount of waste being dumped there. Local residents expressed the hope that the County Council would close what they described as a badly-sited ‘white elephant’. (Clare People 8/9/09, pp. 1,16; Clare Champion 11/9/09, pp.1,9).

An application for a compost plant at Kilcogy, County Cavan, which faced strong local opposition, has been withdrawn. (Anglo-Celt 10/9/09, p. 8)

EirGrid's claim at a meeting last Monday with Monaghan County Council that it had the power to CPO land has been challenged by North East Pylon Pressure. An EirGrid official admitted they are suffering ‘very considerable delay’ due to public opposition, which has been added to by the formation of the Monaghan County Landowners’ Committee. The planning application is not expected to be lodged until near the end of the year. (Monaghan Post 10/9/09, p. 4; Meath Chronicle 12/9/09, p. 10).

The Mahon Bridge Community Protection Group was formed following a public meeting on Tuesday September 3rd at Kilrrossanty, Co. Waterford, to oppose plans by Hutchinson 3G to erect a 30-metre telemast in a heavily wooded area at the Comeragh Mountains. (Dungarvan Leader 11/9/09, p. 11).

Last Tuesday residents of Annascaul, Co. Kerry, met with officials of Tetra in Tralee to present a submission on health and safety concerns regarding a proposed telemast. A local councillor who attended the meeting said Tetra promised to email councillors attending the meeting the following day with health information but they still had not heard from the company by Friday. (Kerryman (sic) 9/9/09, p.24).

Residents of Granard, Co. Longford who held a meeting last Wednesday to oppose the extension of a telemast at the town’s Garda Station have employed an engineer and lodged a submission against the proposed extension. (Longford news 9/9/09, p. 2).

Local musician Tom O’Toole has written a song to support local opposition to a proposed telemast at Partry, Co. Mayo. The song can be heard at http://clonee.com/. (Connaught Telegraph 8/9/09, p. 2a)