News from down the country

national | environment | news report Saturday November 14, 2009 15:34 by Contaminated Crow

A landfill, a waste transfer site, a World Heritage site, two masts and turf-cutting

Cavan Better Waste Management (CBWM) has welcomed a new draft licence issued by the EPA for Oxigen’s landfill site at Corranure which reduces the amount of biodegradeable waste the landfill can accept in an attempt to minimise odour problems, but has called for strict enforcement. CBWM’s chairperson Cian Murtagh said committee members had received countless complaints over last weekend from residents: “they were complaining of waking up in the night, children being sick and terrible headaches. It was the worst weekend ever.” (Anglo-Celt 12/11/09, p. 1).

An Bord Pleanala has refused AES (now owned by Bord na Mona) permission to continue using its waste transfer facility at Kyletalisha, near Portlaoise, Co. Laois, upholding an appeal by residents from the area, who have been campaigning to close the site since it was set up in 2003. (Laois Nationalist 13/11/09, p. 1).

The Clonmacnois Action Group has written to the Taoiseach to reiterate their position that it does not wish to see Clonmacnois nominated as a World Heritage site and, given the Taoiseach said the proposal could not proceed without local community agreement, it considers the process to be now completely finished. (Westmeath Independent 14/11/09, p. 2).

A meeting between Threefold/Tetra and residents of Annascaul, Co. Kerry who oppose the company’s proposed mast in their village has now been deferred to next year, while the villagers have now abandoned their vigil at the site. According to local councillor Brendan Griffin “The feeling I have about this is that the developers now realise that the local opposition to the mast is so great that even if it was to be erected it would be pulled down or sabotages in some way. So I think they will be looking for a new site.” (Kerryman (sic) 11/11/09, p. 25).

The Eagle Hill Mast Committee has welcomed Waterford County Council’s decision to grant H3G permission only for a 10 metre mast on Eagle Hill in Ballinamult, Co. Waterford, where the company had applied for a 36 metre mast. H3G is to appeal the decision. (Dungarvan Leader 13/11/09, p. 25).

Over 400 people attended the latest meeting organised by the Turfcutters and Contractors Association (TCCA) last Sunday night in Frenchpark, Co. Roscommon. The TCCA chairperson reported they will be speaking before the Dail environment committee on November 17th and noted “Speaker after speaker on Sunday night said they will keep cutting turf after January in defiance of the proposals.” The next TCCA meeting will be held at 8.30 pm next Friday in the Key West Hotel in Roskey. (Roscommon Champion 11/11/09, p. 2).

Plans to end turfcutting on 32 designated bogs by the end of the year have been undermined by the revelation that there are currently no funds available to compensate owners under the scheme: this was discovered by a local bog owner in Co. Galway who agreed to end turfcutting in return for compensation but was told his application could not be dealt with for some considerable time. (Connacht Tribune 13/11/09, p. 5).