The results of a major multi-agency study into old mine sites in Ireland was released last week at a workshop hosted by The Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The study - Historic Mine Sites Inventory and Risk Classification - Volume 1 Geochemical Characteristics and Environmental Matters - gathers together all the available information on historic mine sites in Ireland and significant new information derived from site investigations. It identifies the issues that need to be addressed in the future rehabilitation of mines in Ireland.
Over 100 sites in 32 mining districts were assessed in the course of the investigation - ranging in size from the largest historic mine sites in Ireland, where mining took place in recent decades, to smaller sites where there has been little or no mining activity for many decades. The EPA, the GSI and the Exploration and Mining Division of the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (DCENR), worked together on this study.
The objectives of this work were -
1. to identify any significant risks to the environment and human and animal health at these historic mine sites so that these risks can be managed and the sites made safe - and
2. to plan ahead for the forthcoming EU Directive on the Management of Wastes from the Extractive Industries. This Directive will, among other things, require EU Member States to prepare an inventory of closed waste facilities within their jurisdictions by 1 May 2012.
The project includes -
* An inventory of historic mine sites in Ireland, compiled in digital and GIS format;
* A compilation of all relevant information on each site in GIS format;
* Site investigation and characterisation reports for each of the sites - and
* A methodology for risk-ranking these sites to establish the level of risk to the environment and to human and animal health associated with them.
Commenting on the publication of the report and associated products, Dara Lynott, Director of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement said - “This work will leave Ireland well placed to comply with the future requirements of the EU Directive. These assessments will shape our actions for the remediation of these sites for future generations.”
The study concluded that, of the 32 mining districts assessed, 22 districts will not require any interventions, 7 districts will require further monitoring and 3 districts (Tynagh, Silvermines and Avoca) will require additional site-specific risk assessment by the landowners.
Mr Eamon Ryan, Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and Mr Conor Lenihan, Minister for Science, Technology & Innovation welcomed the report and its findings, as it provides a scientific basis for classifying the various mine sites and identifies the main issues and mine sites of concern.
Notes
Ireland is obliged under Article 20 of Directive 2006/21/EC on the Management of Waste from Extractive Industries to prepare an inventory of closed/abandoned waste facilities, which cause serious negative environmental impacts or have the potential of becoming in the medium or short term a serious threat to human health or the environment, and to periodically update it.
The inventory is to be made available to the public and is to be completed by 1 May 2012. This Historic Mines Sites Inventory and Risk Classification deals only with those minerals covered by the Minerals Development Acts 1940 to 1999. A similar study on closed stone, sand and gravel quarries will have to be compiled before 1 May 2012.
Many terms have been used to refer to old mines - including abandoned, derelict or orphaned. There is no widely accepted single definition for classifying old mines that are dormant, may or may not have an identifiable owner and have not been reclaimed. A working definition is any inactive mine site not in the process of rehabilitation or under active management.
Some common characteristics of historic mine sites are -
* ownership of the site is often difficult to establish
* that regular maintenance of the site has not been undertaken - and
* mining ceased without proper rehabilitation.
In this report, the term 'historic mine site' is used to refer to old mine sites which are not regulated by a current permit under minerals development legislation and consists of the mine workings and infrastructure related to a mine, including - but not limited to - tailings facilities, waste rock dumps, buildings and concentrator facilities.
A comprehensive remediation project is currently underway at the Silvermines site and is being overseen by DCENR, while a full assessment of the Avoca site, where the State is the landowner, has recently been completed by DCENR.
This project has resulted in the production of comprehensive information on the location and relative risk to the environment and human and animal health posed by these sites.
The project was jointly managed and funded by the EPA and the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (DCENR) and was carried out by geologists of the GSI.
www.buckplanning.ie
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Gormley signals intention to inquire into planning decisions nationwide
Environment Minister John Gormley has announced that he intends to launch investigations into a number of planning decisions around the country following complaints received by his department.
Opening the Green Party convention in Waterford last week, Mr Gormley said he would begin inquiries under the terms of the Planning Act, following complaints about breaches of the legislation.
Some of the complaints are believed to relate to the way in which some local authorities have contravened their own developments plans, while others relate to the failure of local authorities to dismantle illegal developments.
Mr Gormley told the convention that attempts were now being made to mask questionable rezoning decisions with claims that jobs are at stake. He cited an attempted rezoning decision in south county Dublin as an example of what was happening.
“This type of developer-led planning - the type that got us into this current mess - does not create jobs. It costs - it costs the environment, it costs taxpayers money and it costs jobs,” he said.
Mr Gormley added that last month there was an attempt by some councillors to assist a developer in rezoning a swathe of land for a supermarket beside a motorway in south county Dublin.
“In this, the south Dublin case, years of planning to create a new town centre in south Dublin - and €350 million of public and private investment into a new Luas line - would have been undermined because one developer had other ideas and land elsewhere. It is no surprise, therefore, that our planning Bill ... has been opposed tooth and nail by some Opposition politicians.”
Mr Gormley said that the county councils were the foundations of our political system and he had the utmost respect for most local councillors.
“That said, despite all that we have been through ... some councillors are still engaging in crony capitalism. With business as usual in our council chambers, the noble words on reform and accountability by some political party leaders ring hollow,” he said.
Mr Gormley added that people should remember that too often in the past, planning principles were put aside in the name of commercial and financial expediency and claims about creating and sustaining employment.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Opening the Green Party convention in Waterford last week, Mr Gormley said he would begin inquiries under the terms of the Planning Act, following complaints about breaches of the legislation.
Some of the complaints are believed to relate to the way in which some local authorities have contravened their own developments plans, while others relate to the failure of local authorities to dismantle illegal developments.
Mr Gormley told the convention that attempts were now being made to mask questionable rezoning decisions with claims that jobs are at stake. He cited an attempted rezoning decision in south county Dublin as an example of what was happening.
“This type of developer-led planning - the type that got us into this current mess - does not create jobs. It costs - it costs the environment, it costs taxpayers money and it costs jobs,” he said.
Mr Gormley added that last month there was an attempt by some councillors to assist a developer in rezoning a swathe of land for a supermarket beside a motorway in south county Dublin.
“In this, the south Dublin case, years of planning to create a new town centre in south Dublin - and €350 million of public and private investment into a new Luas line - would have been undermined because one developer had other ideas and land elsewhere. It is no surprise, therefore, that our planning Bill ... has been opposed tooth and nail by some Opposition politicians.”
Mr Gormley said that the county councils were the foundations of our political system and he had the utmost respect for most local councillors.
“That said, despite all that we have been through ... some councillors are still engaging in crony capitalism. With business as usual in our council chambers, the noble words on reform and accountability by some political party leaders ring hollow,” he said.
Mr Gormley added that people should remember that too often in the past, planning principles were put aside in the name of commercial and financial expediency and claims about creating and sustaining employment.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Gormley signals intention to inquire into planning decisions nationwide
Environment Minister John Gormley has announced that he intends to launch investigations into a number of planning decisions around the country following complaints received by his department.
Opening the Green Party convention in Waterford last week, Mr Gormley said he would begin inquiries under the terms of the Planning Act, following complaints about breaches of the legislation.
Some of the complaints are believed to relate to the way in which some local authorities have contravened their own developments plans, while others relate to the failure of local authorities to dismantle illegal developments.
Mr Gormley told the convention that attempts were now being made to mask questionable rezoning decisions with claims that jobs are at stake. He cited an attempted rezoning decision in south county Dublin as an example of what was happening.
“This type of developer-led planning - the type that got us into this current mess - does not create jobs. It costs - it costs the environment, it costs taxpayers money and it costs jobs,” he said.
Mr Gormley added that last month there was an attempt by some councillors to assist a developer in rezoning a swathe of land for a supermarket beside a motorway in south county Dublin.
“In this, the south Dublin case, years of planning to create a new town centre in south Dublin - and €350 million of public and private investment into a new Luas line - would have been undermined because one developer had other ideas and land elsewhere. It is no surprise, therefore, that our planning Bill ... has been opposed tooth and nail by some Opposition politicians.”
Mr Gormley said that the county councils were the foundations of our political system and he had the utmost respect for most local councillors.
“That said, despite all that we have been through ... some councillors are still engaging in crony capitalism. With business as usual in our council chambers, the noble words on reform and accountability by some political party leaders ring hollow,” he said.
Mr Gormley added that people should remember that too often in the past, planning principles were put aside in the name of commercial and financial expediency and claims about creating and sustaining employment.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Opening the Green Party convention in Waterford last week, Mr Gormley said he would begin inquiries under the terms of the Planning Act, following complaints about breaches of the legislation.
Some of the complaints are believed to relate to the way in which some local authorities have contravened their own developments plans, while others relate to the failure of local authorities to dismantle illegal developments.
Mr Gormley told the convention that attempts were now being made to mask questionable rezoning decisions with claims that jobs are at stake. He cited an attempted rezoning decision in south county Dublin as an example of what was happening.
“This type of developer-led planning - the type that got us into this current mess - does not create jobs. It costs - it costs the environment, it costs taxpayers money and it costs jobs,” he said.
Mr Gormley added that last month there was an attempt by some councillors to assist a developer in rezoning a swathe of land for a supermarket beside a motorway in south county Dublin.
“In this, the south Dublin case, years of planning to create a new town centre in south Dublin - and €350 million of public and private investment into a new Luas line - would have been undermined because one developer had other ideas and land elsewhere. It is no surprise, therefore, that our planning Bill ... has been opposed tooth and nail by some Opposition politicians.”
Mr Gormley said that the county councils were the foundations of our political system and he had the utmost respect for most local councillors.
“That said, despite all that we have been through ... some councillors are still engaging in crony capitalism. With business as usual in our council chambers, the noble words on reform and accountability by some political party leaders ring hollow,” he said.
Mr Gormley added that people should remember that too often in the past, planning principles were put aside in the name of commercial and financial expediency and claims about creating and sustaining employment.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Gormley sets out Roadmap to New Waste Policy
The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Mr. John Gormley, TD, has set out his plans for the delivery of a new waste management policy for Ireland.
The process will involve significant consultation with key stakeholders and the general public over the coming weeks. “I want to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to contribute to the development of the Government’s waste management policy. The policy will focus on moving Ireland away from an over-emphasis on residual waste management and to a focus on prevention, minimisation and recycling.”
As a first step in the process, the Minister launched a consultation on a draft Bill which has been approved by Government for the application of levies to landfills and incinerators.
The levies will be designed to ensure material which can be recycled and add value is not drawn to large scale residual waste treatment facilities. Therefore, it is envisaged that a banded series of levies will be applied to facilities based on capacity.
“In order to have the dissuasive effect required, those who process more, will pay more,“said the Minister.
The levies are also seen as a means of driving material away from landfill, in order to meet challenging EU targets.
“Levies are just part of a range of measures which will contribute to the development of a sustainable, resource-based waste management policy,” added the Minister.
In the coming weeks, Minister Gormley will be launching a consultation document which will set out the various elements being considered as part of the development of a new waste management policy for the country. As part of this process, he will prioritise engagement with the public on specific issues in the document including the management of biodegradable waste through the rollout of brown bins and home composting and the capping of the volume of material permitted to be sent for incineration.
“Waste, when viewed as a resource, has the potential to make a significant contribution to economic recovery through the development of a vibrant recycling sector using the most advanced technologies,” he said.
The proposals mean that a tonne of waste going to landfill will have a €75 levy by 2012 - however, that figure could increase.
Incinerators face a similarly significant hit - but larger facilities, which process more waste, will be compelled to pay more.
This strategy of a sliding scale of levies could pose a particular problem for Dublin's Poolbeg incinerator, with its massive 600,000 tonne capacity.
In addition, incinerators also face a cap - or limit - on the amount of waste they can accept.
www.buckplanning.ie
The process will involve significant consultation with key stakeholders and the general public over the coming weeks. “I want to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to contribute to the development of the Government’s waste management policy. The policy will focus on moving Ireland away from an over-emphasis on residual waste management and to a focus on prevention, minimisation and recycling.”
As a first step in the process, the Minister launched a consultation on a draft Bill which has been approved by Government for the application of levies to landfills and incinerators.
The levies will be designed to ensure material which can be recycled and add value is not drawn to large scale residual waste treatment facilities. Therefore, it is envisaged that a banded series of levies will be applied to facilities based on capacity.
“In order to have the dissuasive effect required, those who process more, will pay more,“said the Minister.
The levies are also seen as a means of driving material away from landfill, in order to meet challenging EU targets.
“Levies are just part of a range of measures which will contribute to the development of a sustainable, resource-based waste management policy,” added the Minister.
In the coming weeks, Minister Gormley will be launching a consultation document which will set out the various elements being considered as part of the development of a new waste management policy for the country. As part of this process, he will prioritise engagement with the public on specific issues in the document including the management of biodegradable waste through the rollout of brown bins and home composting and the capping of the volume of material permitted to be sent for incineration.
“Waste, when viewed as a resource, has the potential to make a significant contribution to economic recovery through the development of a vibrant recycling sector using the most advanced technologies,” he said.
The proposals mean that a tonne of waste going to landfill will have a €75 levy by 2012 - however, that figure could increase.
Incinerators face a similarly significant hit - but larger facilities, which process more waste, will be compelled to pay more.
This strategy of a sliding scale of levies could pose a particular problem for Dublin's Poolbeg incinerator, with its massive 600,000 tonne capacity.
In addition, incinerators also face a cap - or limit - on the amount of waste they can accept.
www.buckplanning.ie
Snail protection plan off to a tee at Doonbeg Golf Club
THE POPULATION of a protected snail, the Vertigo angustior, at the Greg Norman-designed Doonbeg golf course has increased six-fold to 60 million. With more of the snail living there than almost anywhere else, the conservation project can now be regarded as a model of its kind.
That is according to an expert in the subject, Dr Evelyn Moorkens, who has monitored the management by Doonbeg Golf Club of the 1.8mm snail at the west Co Clare links over the past 10 years.
She said yesterday: “The snail is thriving at the course, and what has occurred at Doonbeg is a model in terms of sustainable development, and I can’t think of another instance where the notion of sustainable development as understood in the EU habitats directive has been embraced so much.”
The presence of the snail at the course held up its construction in 2000 after Tony Lowes of the Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) took a High Court action seeking to ensure the conservation of the snail.
The protection of the animal was the subject of a High Court settlement with Mr Lowes, and also part of the planning conditions granted by An Bord Pleanála.
According to Dr Moorkens, the estimated snail population at the course has grown from 10 million in 2000 to 60 million last year.
“Last year was a phenomenal year for the snail at the course. The damp conditions, along with the management regime in place, were perfect for the snail. There are now more snails at the course than are present in most countries.”
Dr Moorkens, an independent ecological consultant, was commenting yesterday arising from a report on the snail just lodged by her at Clare County Council concerning a plan by Doonbeg Golf Club for the retention of a contentious wall.
She lodges annual reports with the Department of the Environment on the conservation status of the snail.
Dr Moorkens said: “The management by the golf club of the snail has been superb. You can’t fault them. It is nature as it should be.”
One of the conservation measures carried out by the golf club is “hiring” cattle to graze in a special area of conservation (SAC) during certain periods of the year, to ensure that the dunes do not become overgrown.
Dr Moorkens said: “You have to hand it to them. They are up for the challenge, and that is what people want to see.”
The general manager of Doonbeg Golf Club, Joe Russell, said: “I think wherever golf is played Doonbeg will always be identified with our snail, Vertigo angustior. Happily, since the golf club was established, the snail has thrived.”
Mr Lowes said: “Doonbeg Golf Club and the Parks and Wildlife Service both deserve great credit, but it’s worth remembering that this level of conservation was only achieved by a long struggle through An Bord Pleanála and the Irish courts.”
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
That is according to an expert in the subject, Dr Evelyn Moorkens, who has monitored the management by Doonbeg Golf Club of the 1.8mm snail at the west Co Clare links over the past 10 years.
She said yesterday: “The snail is thriving at the course, and what has occurred at Doonbeg is a model in terms of sustainable development, and I can’t think of another instance where the notion of sustainable development as understood in the EU habitats directive has been embraced so much.”
The presence of the snail at the course held up its construction in 2000 after Tony Lowes of the Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) took a High Court action seeking to ensure the conservation of the snail.
The protection of the animal was the subject of a High Court settlement with Mr Lowes, and also part of the planning conditions granted by An Bord Pleanála.
According to Dr Moorkens, the estimated snail population at the course has grown from 10 million in 2000 to 60 million last year.
“Last year was a phenomenal year for the snail at the course. The damp conditions, along with the management regime in place, were perfect for the snail. There are now more snails at the course than are present in most countries.”
Dr Moorkens, an independent ecological consultant, was commenting yesterday arising from a report on the snail just lodged by her at Clare County Council concerning a plan by Doonbeg Golf Club for the retention of a contentious wall.
She lodges annual reports with the Department of the Environment on the conservation status of the snail.
Dr Moorkens said: “The management by the golf club of the snail has been superb. You can’t fault them. It is nature as it should be.”
One of the conservation measures carried out by the golf club is “hiring” cattle to graze in a special area of conservation (SAC) during certain periods of the year, to ensure that the dunes do not become overgrown.
Dr Moorkens said: “You have to hand it to them. They are up for the challenge, and that is what people want to see.”
The general manager of Doonbeg Golf Club, Joe Russell, said: “I think wherever golf is played Doonbeg will always be identified with our snail, Vertigo angustior. Happily, since the golf club was established, the snail has thrived.”
Mr Lowes said: “Doonbeg Golf Club and the Parks and Wildlife Service both deserve great credit, but it’s worth remembering that this level of conservation was only achieved by a long struggle through An Bord Pleanála and the Irish courts.”
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 28 March 2010
Docklands board to seek inquiry into deals
The board of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) will call for an inquiry into the property deals and planning decisions made by the previous board and executive of the state agency over a 10-year period.
The inquiry, which will have full powers of discovery, will be proposed next month by Professor Niamh Brennan, who was appointed DDDA chairman in March 2009. The agency is finalising three reports to government on the planning decisions, financial management and corporate governance of the agency since it was set up in 1997.
Sources close to the DDDA said the reports had identified structural weaknesses in the agency and “confirmed all the reasons we have to be worried”.
“Niamh Brennan and the board were never going to be in a position to look at files in the offices of Anglo Irish Bank [which financed a number of the DDDA’s projects], interview Sean FitzPatrick [the former Anglo chairman] and others, or put allegations to people. That was not their role,” the source said. “But in gathering the information they have, they could be in a position to say, here’s what we think you should be inquiring further about.”
The three reports requested by John Gormley, the environment minister, were circulated to interested parties, including former directors, in recent days.
Phil Hogan, the Fine Gael environment spokesman, leaked copies of the draft reports to the media, accusing Gormley of covering up Brennan’s findings. He also published correspondence between the DDDA, the Department of the Environment and the Department of Finance in 2006, secured under freedom of information legislation.
The emails and letters showed that Dick Roche, then environment minister, gave DDDA approval within 14 working days to borrow €127m — its annual borrowing ceiling — so it could become a partner in the €427m purchase of the Dublin Glass Bottle site in Ringsend.
Hogan demanded to know why Brian Cowen, then finance minister, signed off on the approval, as required under law, within such a short timeframe and without seeking a due diligence test on the value of what was a record property transaction for a state agency.
A government spokesman rejected the charges as “a cheap attempt to smear the taoiseach” which deliberately ignored crucial facts.
“Brian Cowen as minister for finance did not approve the purchase of the site in question,” he said. “The [DDDA] is entitled to borrow up to a limit of €127m, with the approval of the minister for the environment, heritage and local government and the consent of the minister for finance.”
He said Cowen gave his consent following full consideration of this matter by senior officials in his department who “recommended, subject to your approval, that the DDDA be allowed to borrow the funds necessary to purchase the site”.
The Hogan correspondence tracks exchanges between civil servants as they assess whether to recommend the consent of government. In one, a senior finance official tells a colleague that “our main concern would be that any semi-state borrower has had quotes from a number of banks”.
The second civil servant then tells a department of the environment official that because the DDDA was a commercial semi-state, its borrowings would not impact on the general government debt.
Although its request to use its annual borrowing limit in a single deal was “unusual”, he noted, it was a matter for the environment department to assess if this was appropriate.
Asked about the apparently casual nature of some of the exchanges between civil servants, Hogan said the officials “took a view” based on the assumptions of Paul Maloney, [the then DDDA chief executive], and his board promising a 15% return on this investment.
“Nobody did any due diligence in relation to these assumptions,” he said. “There was no valuation carried out on the site independently, there was no financial expertise deployed independently and there was only one bank asked to quote, as far as we can see.”
Sunday Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The inquiry, which will have full powers of discovery, will be proposed next month by Professor Niamh Brennan, who was appointed DDDA chairman in March 2009. The agency is finalising three reports to government on the planning decisions, financial management and corporate governance of the agency since it was set up in 1997.
Sources close to the DDDA said the reports had identified structural weaknesses in the agency and “confirmed all the reasons we have to be worried”.
“Niamh Brennan and the board were never going to be in a position to look at files in the offices of Anglo Irish Bank [which financed a number of the DDDA’s projects], interview Sean FitzPatrick [the former Anglo chairman] and others, or put allegations to people. That was not their role,” the source said. “But in gathering the information they have, they could be in a position to say, here’s what we think you should be inquiring further about.”
The three reports requested by John Gormley, the environment minister, were circulated to interested parties, including former directors, in recent days.
Phil Hogan, the Fine Gael environment spokesman, leaked copies of the draft reports to the media, accusing Gormley of covering up Brennan’s findings. He also published correspondence between the DDDA, the Department of the Environment and the Department of Finance in 2006, secured under freedom of information legislation.
The emails and letters showed that Dick Roche, then environment minister, gave DDDA approval within 14 working days to borrow €127m — its annual borrowing ceiling — so it could become a partner in the €427m purchase of the Dublin Glass Bottle site in Ringsend.
Hogan demanded to know why Brian Cowen, then finance minister, signed off on the approval, as required under law, within such a short timeframe and without seeking a due diligence test on the value of what was a record property transaction for a state agency.
A government spokesman rejected the charges as “a cheap attempt to smear the taoiseach” which deliberately ignored crucial facts.
“Brian Cowen as minister for finance did not approve the purchase of the site in question,” he said. “The [DDDA] is entitled to borrow up to a limit of €127m, with the approval of the minister for the environment, heritage and local government and the consent of the minister for finance.”
He said Cowen gave his consent following full consideration of this matter by senior officials in his department who “recommended, subject to your approval, that the DDDA be allowed to borrow the funds necessary to purchase the site”.
The Hogan correspondence tracks exchanges between civil servants as they assess whether to recommend the consent of government. In one, a senior finance official tells a colleague that “our main concern would be that any semi-state borrower has had quotes from a number of banks”.
The second civil servant then tells a department of the environment official that because the DDDA was a commercial semi-state, its borrowings would not impact on the general government debt.
Although its request to use its annual borrowing limit in a single deal was “unusual”, he noted, it was a matter for the environment department to assess if this was appropriate.
Asked about the apparently casual nature of some of the exchanges between civil servants, Hogan said the officials “took a view” based on the assumptions of Paul Maloney, [the then DDDA chief executive], and his board promising a 15% return on this investment.
“Nobody did any due diligence in relation to these assumptions,” he said. “There was no valuation carried out on the site independently, there was no financial expertise deployed independently and there was only one bank asked to quote, as far as we can see.”
Sunday Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Tesco's massive turbines to eclipse tallest building
Retail giant Tesco is to be granted planning permission to construct two massive 300-feet high wind turbines at its distribution centre in north Dublin that, when completed, will be taller than the Republic's tallest building, The Elysian in Cork.
Fingal Co Council has just given the provisional go-ahead for the two wind turbines that will each have a 213-feet tall support base and 85-feet wide blades that will bring the total height of the structures to 91 metres. That's slightly under 300 feet and makes them about 30 feet higher than the Elysian and nearly half the height of the landmark Poolbeg power station chimneys in Dublin.
The council recently indicated its intention to approve planning permission for the development, which will help power the distribution centre, while previous opponents of the plan can now take their case to An Bord Pleanála.
It is understood that the turbines need to be so high in order to capture enough wind to generate a viable amount of electricity.
The towers are so tall that search and rescue helicopters will have to plot new routes to safely bypass the turbines during adverse weather, while air traffic control at Dublin Airport had concerns that two turbines would be picked up by its radar system. That had the potential for the huge structures to be mistaken for light aircraft.
Tesco originally applied for permission to construct the turbines in 2007, but withdrew that application before putting it to the council again last year.
Following concerns raised by both the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) and Dublin Airport, Tesco engaged a consultancy to determine the potential impact. The report found that the turbines will occasionally generate so-called 'primary target' echoes on the airport's radar system, depending on weather conditions.
Primary targets are generated by land-based radar systems without any additional information being provided to the system by identification equipment on board aircraft.
The report also found that on 'rare occasions', the turbines could produce what are known as 'false plots' - which are radar signals received that don't correspond to the actual position of a real aircraft.
However, the major concerns expressed by the IAA were addressed.
Locals branded the plan as inappropriate and said that solar panels would have been better.
The Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Fingal Co Council has just given the provisional go-ahead for the two wind turbines that will each have a 213-feet tall support base and 85-feet wide blades that will bring the total height of the structures to 91 metres. That's slightly under 300 feet and makes them about 30 feet higher than the Elysian and nearly half the height of the landmark Poolbeg power station chimneys in Dublin.
The council recently indicated its intention to approve planning permission for the development, which will help power the distribution centre, while previous opponents of the plan can now take their case to An Bord Pleanála.
It is understood that the turbines need to be so high in order to capture enough wind to generate a viable amount of electricity.
The towers are so tall that search and rescue helicopters will have to plot new routes to safely bypass the turbines during adverse weather, while air traffic control at Dublin Airport had concerns that two turbines would be picked up by its radar system. That had the potential for the huge structures to be mistaken for light aircraft.
Tesco originally applied for permission to construct the turbines in 2007, but withdrew that application before putting it to the council again last year.
Following concerns raised by both the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) and Dublin Airport, Tesco engaged a consultancy to determine the potential impact. The report found that the turbines will occasionally generate so-called 'primary target' echoes on the airport's radar system, depending on weather conditions.
Primary targets are generated by land-based radar systems without any additional information being provided to the system by identification equipment on board aircraft.
The report also found that on 'rare occasions', the turbines could produce what are known as 'false plots' - which are radar signals received that don't correspond to the actual position of a real aircraft.
However, the major concerns expressed by the IAA were addressed.
Locals branded the plan as inappropriate and said that solar panels would have been better.
The Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
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