It has been a bad week for the residents in the areas around the old John A. Wood, now Roadstone Ltd limestone quarry in Ballegan on the Castleisland to Tralee Road.
An almost three year campaign of action by the Ballyegan Community Protection Group went up in smoke during the week as news from An Bord Pleanála was just the kind the members hoped they wouldn’t hear.
The bord swept aside the genuinely held fears of the members of the residents group drawn from the Knockeen, Ballyegan and Gortatlea areas.
Green Light to Roadstone Ltd.
It has given the green light to Roadstone Ltd to resume asphalt activity at the quarry which has been abandoned for over a decade now.
The case made by members of the residents group, that the reopening of the quarry and its subsequent commercial activities would have serious consequences for the health of the people in the neighbourhood, made no impact on the decision process of An Bord Pleanála.
Smoke Belching Memories
Most of those involved in the residents group remember the smoke belching manufacturing process up to the time of its closure in 2011.
With photographs of the site in full emission mode and local, verifiable medical advice and opinion being ignored by An Bord Pleanála, the residents have been left wondering where or to whom they can now turn for help.
Network of Minor Roads
And that’s not considering the impact heavy vehicular traffic to and from the quarry, on a daily basis, used to have on the network of minor roads around the quarry which includes over 50 family homes and a school.
A plank in Roadstone’s case was the submission of a specialist ‘air pollution and environmental consultancy report’ which found that there would be no significant impact on the local environment or health of the neighbouring community as a result of emissions of the asphalt plant at Ballyegan and that any emissions – even those at times of high production levels would be down on established air quality standards.
Heavy Traffic on Main Road Only
Residents in the area tried to have the heavy traffic to and from the quarry confined to the N21 or main road.
However, they have reservations on this as they were told by management of the old quarry that the company was not responsible for what private hauliers and truck drivers did once they were outside the confines of the quarry gates.
While the ‘brownfield’ nature, evidence and existence of established use of the site for quarrying and associated manufacturing may have been a factor in the failure of the case made by the local residents, they did manage to have a set of conditions inserted in the company’s license to reopen the quarry.
Blasting Ruled Out
No. 2 on the list of conditions states that: This permission is not to be construed as any form of consent or agreement for the extraction of material for use in the proposed asphalt plant from the applicant’s landholding.
This would appear to rule out any further blasting for which the old quarry was infamous.
Other conditions imposed are as follows:
Operation hours between 7am and 7pm on Monday to Friday; 7am to 2pm on Saturdays.
Noise levels must not exceed stated parameters.
Heavy Goods Vehicles
Vehicles to and from the site must use only the N21, N22 and N23 and that heavy goods vehicles will not use local roads in the area.
Dust levels at the site boundary must not exceed 350 milligrams per square metre per day averaged over a continuous period of 30 days.
Residents are left in a state of bewilderment in the wake of this week’s announcement by An Bord Pleanála according to one of the group.
Residents Flabbergasted
Group member and local resident, Pat Dowling said that they have been taken aback at the nature of the rejection of their case. “We’re talking about a plant that will be spewing smoke into the atmosphere at a time when the government, and the Green Party in particular, are promoting a green policy and are moving in the other direction altogether.
“We are flabbergasted at this decision and we’re looking around for support while the company is putting up signs in the vicinity of the quarry in preparation for the opening – it doesn’t make sense to us. I wouldn’t like to be a politician coming knocking on our doors around here in any of the coming elections,” said an angry Mr. Dowling.
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