| Appeal on peat pollution |
| FIE has submitted a last minute appeal to the Department of the Environment to try and have the issue of diffuse pollution caused by peat extraction and forestry addressed in the River Basin District Plans. These Plans must be published under EU law by 21 December, 2009. FIE only this week became aware that its submission was excluded from those made by the multi-stakeholder body SWAN through which we had submitted. We are also writing to the Minister, pointing out we now have letters from the Department of Agriculture's Forest Service, Coillte Teo., the State Forestry Board, and the Environmental Protection Agency, and that none of these bodies have available the amount of forestry on peat soils in each River Basin District Catchments. Read the appeal letter. // Read More // |  |
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| Posted By Tony Lowes on 19/12/2009 ( Reads : 362 ) | Comments (0) | Water quality |
| Farm Plastics letter |
John Gormley, TD The Minister for the Environment, Customs House, Dublin 1 minister@environ.ie 18 October, 2007 Re: Appropriate assessment of farm plastic waste Dear Minister; We write out of concerns that have been raised about the export of farm plastic waste as we understand that your Department is preparing Guidelines for Dublin City Council, the new competent national authority for waste export, to address this issue. // Read More // |  |
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| Posted By Tony Lowes on 21/10/2007 ( Reads : 2145 ) | Comments (0) | Water quality |
| 22 MARCH: 'ABSOLUTE FAILURE' BY EPA AS EU THREATENS DAILY FINES |
| As the European Commission informs Ireland that drinking water must be kept free of contamination or it will face daily fines, we draw attention to the absolute failure of the EPA to use its powers to require Local Authorities to take all steps to bring the inadequate water supplies up to the legal minimum standard with a specified period of time.
In the case of Galway and the current cryptosporidium outbreak, filtration alone will eliminate this dangerous protozoa. Even slow sand filtration will remove cryptosporidium. This is hardly rocket science.
The Commission recently levied a one-off fine of 20 million euros against France for what it called "persistent infringements" of fishing regulations with a further payment of 57.76 million euros for every six-month period from the decision until compliance.
Read our full Press Release. // Read More // | |
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| Posted By the editors on 22/03/2007 ( Reads : 1295 ) | Comments (0) | Water quality |
| Ryan Tubridy & Tony Lowes on the balloon ban |
| RTE Radio One: The Morning Show
Ryan Tubridy & Tony Lowes on the balloon ban
RT: Now there's a lobby group based in West Cork which is calling for a ban on the release of mass balloons, do you know where hundreds or thousands of balloons are let out to commemorate an event, some our friends in the United States are probably a little more fond of that we are. But it seems that this was sparked by earlier this summer when President Mary McAleese attended the 20th anniversary of the commemoration for those who dies in the Air India disaster off West Cork. 329 balloons were released, one for each of the victims of the tragedy, and this act prompted our next guest, who is going to join us now, to call for the a ban on such acts for environmental reasons. Tony Lowes, spokesperson for the Friends of the Irish Environment, good morning Tony. // Read More // | |
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| Posted By the editors on 24/08/2005 ( Reads : 6550 ) | Comments (0) | Water quality |
| 18 MAY: RURAL HOUSING GUIDELINES IGNORE SUSPENSION OF WATER PROTECTION SCHEME |
| FIE is seeking the restoration of the Groundwater Protection Scheme [GPS] which has been suspended for the past two years. The GPS enables planners and licensing authorities to assess the vulnerability of aquifers, our groundwater storage, to developments on the surface like one-off houses. The scheme has been suspended with more than half of Ireland uncompleted in spite of the fact that it is called a 'critical' element in the draft Guidelines for Sustainable Rural Development. Read FIE's address to the International Association of Hydrologist on how the suspension can effect the National Development Plan and check to see the status of the suspended scheme in your own area in the GSI on-line map. Press Release. // Read More // | |
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| Posted By the editors on 18/05/2004 ( Reads : 1589 ) | Comments (0) | Water quality |
| Letter to the Irish Times on Groundwater |
| Madam;
It is difficult to understand how Minister Cullen's Draft Guidelines on Sustainable Rural Housing can call the Groundwater Protection Scheme [GPS] a 'critical element' in his proposals to permit large numbers of one-off houses in rural areas. // Read More // | |
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| Posted By the editors on 18/05/2004 ( Reads : 1734 ) | Comments (0) | Water quality |
| Submission on Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines |
| Dear Sirs;
On 25 November, 2002, our organisation made a submission to the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources 'Statement of Strategy 2002-2005'. This submission sought greater resources for the Geological Service of Ireland's [GSI] Groundwater Section in order to reinstitute the Groundwater Protection Scheme [GPS]. // Read More // | |
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| Posted By the editors on 04/05/2004 ( Reads : 1854 ) | Comments (0) | Water quality |
| HOW TO UNDERSTAND THE EPA WATER QUALITY FIGURES |
| THE EPA WILL ASK YOU TO COUNT THE NUMBER OF SAMPLES AND USE THE PERCENTAGE OF SAMPLES THAT HAVE FAILED AS A GUIDE TO HOW POLLUTED OUR WATER IS. WE ARE COUNTING THE NUMBER OF WATER SCHEMES WHICH ARE POLLUTED EACH YEAR. // Read More // | |
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| Posted By the editors on 06/09/2003 ( Reads : 1705 ) | Comments (0) | Water quality |
| Doherty Objection 25 November 2001 Planning |
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This appeal seeks to bring into force a standard testing of existing septic tanks when extensions are applied for. The local authority has sought further information from the applicant. // Read More // | |
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| Posted By Gabi on 15/04/2003 ( Reads : 1728 ) | Comments (0) | Water quality |
| Submission Killarney study July 1999 Planning |
| SUBMISSION TO KILARNEY 2020 STUDY
We would draw the Study's attention to the European Economic Community Directive 91/271/EEC of 21 May, 1991 concerning urban waste-water treatment and its relationship to development control. Our reading of this Directive is that by virtue of its expansion and the sensitivity if its location Killarney is an "agglomeration" which requires the collection and treatment of waste water under this Directive. // Read More // | |
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| Posted By Gabi on 09/04/2003 ( Reads : 1623 ) | Comments (0) | Water quality |
| Summary of water quality concerns |
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| Posted By Gabi on 08/04/2003 ( Reads : 1569 ) | Comments (0) | Water quality |
| Private letter to the Editor of the Irish Times |
| "He who doesn't want to hear must feel!" Private letter to the Editor of the Irish Times 12.01.00 // Read More // | |
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| Posted By Gabi on 08/04/2003 ( Reads : 1574 ) | Comments (0) | Water quality |
| FIE 1998 national water pollution and chlorine awards |
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| Posted By Gabi on 08/04/2003 ( Reads : 1892 ) | Comments (0) | Water quality |
| FIE 1998 Poor Water Quality Award (North Tipperary) |
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| Posted By Gabi on 08/04/2003 ( Reads : 1869 ) | Comments (0) | Water quality |
| Notes on the 1998 Poor Water Quality Awards |
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| Posted By Gabi on 08/04/2003 ( Reads : 1882 ) | Comments (0) | Water quality |
| Drinking Water Contamination in Ireland - Review of the 1992 - 1997 figures |
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| Posted By Gabi on 08/04/2003 ( Reads : 2415 ) | Comments (0) | Water quality |
