Ballyshannon demands proper measurement of Kildare quarries activity
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| Images: Ballyshannon Action group. |
Kildare County Council has been called upon to fully monitor the activities of extractive industries in Kildare and to accurately measure what materials are being extracted in quarries in the county, writes Brian Byrne.
The Ballyshannon Action Group, fighting against the imposition of a sand and gravel quarry in its rural community, is also asking the Council, as 'a major client' of the extractive industry, to lead by example in demanding greener, low carbon materials and credentials in all public contracts and to build carbon emissions budgets and criteria for contractors and subcontractors into the pre-qualification stage of all public works.
In the Group's recent submission to the Draft County Development Plan, they say the Council has a responsibility to follow these guidelines both under the government's Climate Action Plan and the Project Ireland 2040 for sustainable housing growth and development.
The Ballyshannon submission notes that currently there is NO direct monitoring of Kildare's active quarries by the Council, and that the draft CDP only references the extraction of 'adequate supplies' to service the demand for Kildare and the Leinster region.
"Without measurement there can be no true management of quarrying in Kildare, and the people here will continue to pay the price of having their areas decimated while private companies make huge profits often from exports," the Ballyshannon Group say in a recent statement.
The Group is urging residents of the county to support their efforts against the latest Kilsaran proposal by demanding action on these fronts from local councillors and public representatives.
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