19 November 1997

By Tom Shiel

Opponents of the £30 million cement manufacturing plant which is proposed for Tooreen, near Ballyhaunis claims that fresh U.K. evidence proves the project would create pollution damaging to the environment as well as human and animal health.

The Action Group, which is stepping up its campaign in advance of a decision by Mayo County Council on the application by Frank Harrington Ltd for planning permission, yesterday (Tuesday) released details of a British study into "The Environmental Impact of Cement Manufacturing".

The research was carried out by a House of Commons Select Committee and was prompted by reports of health problems in the vicinity of cement plants in Britain.

The main findings of the Committee, which was highly critical of the Environmental Agency, the equivalent of Ireland's Environmental Protection Agency, were:

• Evidence indicates that cement kiln dust produces an alkaline run-off which could cause serious harm to those who come into contact with it.
  
  
• The Committee were critical of the accuracy of the monitoring carried out at cement plants. They found "inconsistencies, errors and assumptions in the data from the cement companies".

MANIPULATION

• The Committee also found that the Environmental Agency was "open to charges of manipulating the data to produce a desired result and that the introduction of toxic waste burning at the Clitheroe plant had been " handled clumsily and without adequate forethought."
  
  
• The Committee reiterated its previous recommendation that the Government should carry out a survey of health effects in the vicinity of lime kilns and said the Inquiry had brought to light examples of inefficiency and lack of foresight on the part of the Agency, both in its local enforcement role and in its central decision making functions.
  
  
• The Committee condemned the "common" practice of incineration of toxic waste in cement waste and the naming of the waste as SLF (secondary liquid fuel). It recommends that notices in the press regarding SLF or other waste derived fuels should refer specifically to waste or hazardous waste".

In a statement yesterday, Mr. Peter Cassidy, Chairman of the Tooreen Action Group, declared:

"This Report confirms what we have been saying for the past ten months--- that cement manufacture is an extremely dirty industry which has been shown time and time again to create serious pollution.

"This pollution affects human and animal health, soil and vegetation and has many other harmful effects on the environment".

Mr. Cassidy said the U.K. Report is effectively saying that the Environmental Agency, which is supposed to protect citizens from all forms of pollution, has been negligent in many areas of its work. This brings to mind, he added, the situation in Askeaton, County Limerick where the Irish EPA could not find any cause for the mysterious cattle deaths which occurred there in recent years,.

Finally, Mr. Cassidy said his Group was disappointed that the developer Mr Frank Harrington Ltd had not replied to any requests for information on the project despite several letters to the developer in this regard.

Connaught Telegraph - News & Sport - November 1997