Oral Hearing over Donegal Power Line

donegal | environment | press release Tuesday March 24, 2009 16:08 by Alternatives to Pylons, Donegal - Alternatives to Pylons, Donegal info at dun-na-ngall dot com

An Bord Pleanála to hold Oral Hearing on controversial ESB Networks Planning Application

Stop The Pylons!

An Bord Pleanála have announced that they are to hold a Public Oral Hearing into ESB Networks and Eirgrid’s Planning Application for an 110kv power line through 102 kilometres of the Donegal Gaeltacht, commencing at 10.00am on Tuesday March 31st, 2009 in Gallagher’s Hotel, Main St, Letterkenny.
Local objectors, including Alternatives to Pylons and Coiste Timpeallachta Ghaoth Dobhair, have criticized the short notice given by An Bord Pleanála and the fact that the Hearing will be held in Letterkenny, an hour’s drive from the majority of the objector’s homes.
The Hearing is expected to last for at least four days at great inconvenience to local people who have to take time off work to attend and who have to pay for experts in electricity generation and transmission, health, ecology and the environment whereas ESB and Eirgrid have teams of legal experts whose job it is to argue these points.

A spokesperson for Alternatives to Pylons said:
‘This is the second time in a decade that the ESB have applied for planning permission for this over ground power line. Once again, the hard pressed communities in the Donegal Gaeltacht are being pressurized to accept an antiquated and dangerous electricity power line on 20 metre (60ft) poles and pylons when sustainable alternatives, like putting the line underground and adjacent to existing main roads, would create employment and maintain the environment.
‘It is a disgrace that the people of Donegal have to fund raise to stop a semi-state company like the ESB, who made profits after tax of €432 million in 2007, from destroying our environment and endangering our health. It is a ‘David and Goliath’ scenario but the Philistines were defeated on that occasion just as the ESB were defeated by people power in Donegal in the year 2000!’

Objectors believe ESB Networks and Eirgrid’s proposals are to facilitate wind farm developers, in which case the ‘polluter pays’ principle should be implemented and the developers should pay to put the line underground.
The proposed route goes through some of the wildest, unspoilt areas of the County from Binbane to Glenties and onto Gweedore via the Gweebarra River Valley and Loughanure and from Glenties to Letterkenny via Kingarrow and Meenaroy, including Natura 2000 sites and Special Areas of Conservation protected under EU law.
The health dangers of living near power lines are now well established. Studies in the UK, Germany and in the US have show that incidents of childhood leukemia and adult cancers are increased for people living near power lines. For instance childhood leukemia increases 69% near power lines.
The questions of land and property devaluation, environmental pollution and the effect of power lines on human and animal health will be discussed at the Oral Hearing. Alternatives to Pylons urges members of the public to attend the Oral Hearing starting on March 31st in Gallagher’s Hotel, Letterkenny.