RESIDENTS MAKE THEIR CASE AT ORAL HEARING ON TUAM DIGESTION PLANT

Date Published: 22-Jan-2013

An inspector from An Bord pleanala is this evening listening to the large scale opposition to a proposed biogas and anaerobic digestion facility in Tuam.

Chairperson of the Tuam biogas group John Joyce outlined the groups main objections to Derek Daly at an oral hearing in the Ard Ri hotel this afternoon.

These include fresh claims that a part of the site proposed for the development had been previously used as a dumping ground for asbestos.

Mr. Joyce also raised concerns over the proximity of the Clare river which at its nearest point is 50 metres from the proposed site.

He added there were 5 educational facilities and a range of businesses serving hundreds of people in the vicinity of the site thus creating an ‘inappropriate mix of use’ which is not encouraged in the local area plan.

Representative for the group, consultant engineer Dwayne Higgins added that Tuam was an ‘aspirational location’ at best for such a project because of the developments scale and transportation needs.

The names of several farmers who allegedly were unaware of the inclusion of their lands contained in the EIS document were also outlined today.

concerns were also raised over the precise composition of the feedstock for the project which is still not known.

The airglooney residents association made its presentation to An Bord Pleanala inspector Derek Daly shortly before 5.

The oral hearing will continue at the Ard Ri hotel in Tuam tomorrow.