News from down the country

national | environment | news report Monday November 23, 2009 16:39 by Contaminated Crow

Five masts, a mushroom plant, a waste facility and golf club dunes

Comharchumann Forbartha Dhun Chaoin is seeking a court injunction to prevent Tetra Ireland from attaching equipment to an existing RTE tv mast in Dun Chaoin, Co. Chiarrai. A Tetra application for a mast in the area was refused by Kerry County Council and An Bord Pleanala earlier this year; no application was made by Tetra in relation to the RTE mast; Tetra technicians arrived at the mast last Wednesday to work on the mast but since then a mechanical digger has been blocking the gateway to the road to the mast site. (Kerryman (sic) 18/11/09, p. 24).

Residents of Glenbeigh and Annascaul gathered at Kerry County Council chambers last week to attend a meeting at which councillors deferred a decision on whether to remove a rule in the County Development Plan which forbids the erection of telemasts within 1 km of housing. Meanwhile, residents protested at Coomasharan, Glenbeigh, at H3G’s latest application for a mast, burning a mock mast to highlight local anger. (The Kingdom 17/11/09, p. 2; Kerryman (sic) 18/11/09, p. 18).

Ballyduff Against Radiation (BAR) a group formed out of concern at H3G’s proposed erection of a 30 metre mast at Knockanana, Ballyduff Upper, Co. Waterford, is holding a public meeting at St. Michael’s Hall at 8 PM on Friday November 27th to provide information on its objections to H3G’s plans. To contact BAR, call Shelley or Ian on 058-60908. (Dungarvan Leader 20/11/09, p. 8).

Minister for Defence Willie O’Dea has signed an objection on behalf of local residents to a proposal by ESB Telecoms to erect a 33 metre mast at Ballykeelaun, Parteen, Co. Clare. (Clare Champion 20/11/09, p. 16).

The Kilnaleck Environmental Group, which has been campaigning for the past ten years to have the Foxford Mushrooms plant in Omard, Kilnaleck, Co. Cavan, closed, is meeting on November 18th to decide where its campaign goes now. (Cavan Post 17/11/09, p. 8).

Bord na Mona, which owns the AES waste facility near Kyletalisha, Portlaoise, which has been operating without planning permission for the last four years, is considering an appeal to the High Court against a recent An Bord Pleanala decision to refuse planning retention. (Leinster Express 18/11/09, p. 8).

Doonbeg Golf Club is applying to Clare County Council for permission for a 2 million Euro plan to prevent erosion of the golf club’s dune system due to climate change, but Professor John Sweeney, Ireland’s foremost climate change specialist, has warned that works to protect the dunes at Doonbeg could affect all the beaches down-wave, including Lahinch, Spanish Point and Miltown Malbay. (Clare Post 17/11/09, p. 30).