|
Genealogy Education Gaeilge Media Music Property Projects Services Shopping Sport Writers Books Email Us
|
Background - Historic Victory for Alternative to Pylons, Donegal - June 2001 In May, 2000 Donegal County Council granted planning permission to the Electricity Supply Board (ESB) to erect 100 kilometres of 110KV pylons through West Donegal (See Map Below). The Alternative to Pylons (ATP) Group, Coiste Timpeallachta Ghaoth Dobhair and An Taisc, as well as members of the public, made separate submissions to An Bord Pleanala to hold an Oral Hearing to voice their objections and the Oral Hearing were held in Dungloe in December, 2000. On July 2nd, 2001 the Board made its decision known and firmly rejected the ESB's proposals perusant to the Local Government (Planning and Development) Acts, 1963 to 1999. The Inspector’s Report stated that: ‘The route of the proposed line runs through many of the most scenic and unspoilt areas of the county and this development would give rise to significant effects on the environment, mainly on the visual amenities and ecology of these areas… and that the proposed development would materially contravene the Development Plan’. The Inspector's Report concluded that: ‘the proposed development would therefore be likely to have significant effects in particular on the amenities and ecology of the area and consequently on the value of the area for tourism…this development would seriously injure the amenities of the county..materially contravene the Development Plan and be contrary to the proper planning and development of the area’.  The Facts in 2000 When the proposal was first mooted the Alternatives to Pylons Group carried out a review of the research available on the adverse effects of Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) and carona ion emissions from overhead power lines. This research revealed some very worrying information. See the latest work of a number of eminent scientists, including Prof. Denis Henshaw of the University of Bristol and also The Irish Times 21/9/00. All these studies have be taken seriously and be given due consideration by the ESB, the Planning Authorities throughout Ireland and the Government. The issues raised included, the health implications for humans and livestock, the environmental and scenic impact on the landscape with added implications for tourism, the devaluation of land and limitations on land use in the immediate area where pylons and poles are erected. Local Independent TD Tom Gildea; Fine Gael TD Dinny McGinley; Pearse Doherty, Gerry Adams and TD for Cavan/Monaghan, Caoimhim O'Caolain, all of Sinn Féin, also pledged their support to the Campaign to put these lines underground.  The Proposed ESB Route of 110kv overhead Power Lines through West Donegal 2000 The fact that there were two Oral Hearings doubled the costs for the voluntary group as the issues of health, land devaluation and the loss of tourism revenue are the same in both the case of the sub-station and the overground lines yet we had to have experts available for both weeks. Ninety five per cent 95% of the submissions to the Planning Appeals Board did not support the development which would cut through 115 of West Donegal's townlands, 20% of the total, through a 1000 landowners property and near tens of thousands of homes. The ATP group is made up of a cross section of Donegal society, people who are entitled to a quality electricity supply but who demand that one of the prime assets of our County, the unspoilt scenic beauty, is not sacrificed in the name of progress! Links County Sligo: Safe Alternative for Electricity County Roscommon: Energy Matters Counties Meath and Louth: North-East Pylon Pressure County Cork: Cobh Anti-Pylon UK Radiological Protection Board Bristol University - Department of Radiation Physics Revolt (Rural England Versus Overhead Line Transmission) S.O.U.L (Wake Up Wisconsin, USA) New Scientist - June 2005 - Large study linking power lines to childhood cancer |
The current situation in 2009 Alternatives to Pylons, Coiste Timpeallachta Ghaoth Dobhair and the Gweebarra Conservation Group are objecting to the ESB’s plans to erect a standing army of 20 metre (60ft) high poles and pylons across 102 kilometres (63 miles) in Donegal. The proposed routes go through some of the most scenic areas of the County from Binbane to Glenties and onto Gweedore via the Gweebarra River and Loughanure and from Glenties to Letterkenny via Kingarrow and Meenaroy as well as a new switching station outside Glenties and a new substation at Gweedore. ESB Networks and Eirgrid have applied for planning permission to An Bord Pleanála to erect the new line alongside the existing 38kv line, making a sterile corridor through 100 townlands. The State owned companies attempted to get planning permission in 2000 but lost their case at a Bord Pleanála Oral Hearing held in Dungloe which was attended by many of the concerned people who live along the proposed routes. The same concerns about health, the destruction of the landscape and the devaluation of land and property apply today as did in 2000 and there is strong local opposition to the electricity companies' plans. At the Oral Hearing in 2000 it was established that the existing 38kv power line was sufficient for local needs and, that if extra power was needed at Gweedore Industrial Estate, then a combined power and heat plant should be built there. This time round ESB Networks and Eirgrid are more honest in admitting that the lines are wanted to take energy away from Donegal's growing number of wind farms. Indeed in the ESB’s Environmental Impact Statement they say that, given the number of jobs lost in the County in recent years, there is enough power in West Donegal at present until 2020. In other countries ‘the polluter pays’ and the wind farmers are made to pay to underground the power lines so that the pleasure and health of the many is not surrendered for the financial benefit of a few. There will be no advantage to Donegal from increasing the voltage on the grid and instead our landscape will be forever marred by the blight of wind turbines and electricity pylons, not to mention the very real risk to health and the devaluation of land prices if this project goes ahead. In Europe the consensus is now to put wind farms out at sea and to underground the high voltage lines needed to take energy from them rather than destroy the landscape for the profit of a few. The health implications of living near power lines are now well established and numerous studies in the UK, Germany and in the US show that incidents of child leukemia and various adult cancers are increased many fold for people living near power lines. The ESB maintain that they have a right of way through farmers’ lands but as cases in Roscommon, Sligo and Cavan have shown, the ESB does not have an automatic right and indeed they will not make clear who would be responsible if an accident were to occur around these power lines. If ESB Networks and Eirgrid get planning permission to erect the 110kv line they do not need to get permission thereafter to upgrade the line to 220kv or even 400kv so it is essential that the line is stopped at this stage. Alternatives to Pylons, Coiste Timpeallachta Ghaoth Dobhair and the Gweebarra Conservation Group would like to remind readers that objections/ observations to the planning application must be submitted in writing by 5.30pm on February 2nd, 2009 to An Bord Pleanála, 64 Marlborough Street, Dublin 1 together with a fee of €50. The proposed route maps and Environmental Impact Statement can be seen at local County Council offices or at Donegal 110kv but be warned that the files on the website are largely pdf files and, for most Donegal people, these files are too large for their broadband capacity. A positive approach to environmental energy policy would promote reliable local generation via Combined Heat and Power (CHP) units and biomass rather than overhead cables and pylons in order to preserve the donegal landscape. Although it may be attractive from an engineering perspective, there is no need, even for the foreseeable longer term, to bring a 110 kV connection to west Donegal. The ESB’s proposals would grossly over-provide for the West of the County with a capacity of 126 MW to serve a demand of around 10 MW. Even when the factorys were full of workers in Gweedore the highest demand was for 16MW and not 126MW as is presently proposed. The Danes, world leaders in wind generation with 20% of their electricity supply from windfarms, are now in the position of having to buy back electricity from Germany rather than selling it such is the inconsistency of wind power generation while the local Council on the Isle of Mull in Scotland have declared the island a wind farm free zone as they realise that such developments would ruin their tourism industry. Rural Donegal has not received any of the benefits of the Celtic Tiger so why therefore should we have the worst elements? If undergrounding is good enough for Dublin and for other Irish cities why should the Donegal countryside be any different? Unless the ESB begin to operate in an open and transparent manner and consider the real importance of our environment their plans will fall short once again.  The Proposed ESB Route of 110kv overhead Power Lines through Donegal 2009 This issue is not unique to Donegal or Ireland, but one that has been under scrutiny around the world for many years. Research carried out in the U.S.A, New Zealand, the UK and other European countries, most notably Sweden and Denmark, all suggest that there may be an increased risk in cancer rates among people who live close to electricity power lines. This is particularly significant for children, where studies have reported that those living close to some types of power lines have higher than average rates of leukemia, brain cancer and cancers in general. Further studies also suggest increases in asthma, immune-related illness and psychological problems, particularly depression, among the population in general. urthermore, there is evidence to suggest that burying transmission lines can substantially reduce their magnetic fields because they are generally insulated with rubber or plastic, this in turn would reduce the health risks. The ESB have rejected the underground option because of the increased cost but what price is our health worth? If you would like further information email info@dun-na-ngall.com. If you wish to help by making a donation to the Appeal fund you can send a cheque or postal order to: ATP GROUP, Account no. 82529441, Bank of Ireland, Dungloe, County Donegal, Ireland. |