Waste Water Treatment Plant

Spidermany

http://www.greaterdublindrainage.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/32102900_-ASA-Preliminary-Screening-Outcomes-Report-Final-Low-Resolution_-20111006.pdf

Guess what Fingal Co Co have planned for us now:
a Greater Dublin (City, North county, South County, Dun Laoghaire, Kildare and Meath) waste water treatment plant with sites marked in Rush and Lusk.

Even if the site goes to Portrane, just across the estuary, the prevailing winds will carry the smell over the Rush and Lusk towns for most of the year.

Plus as the treatment plant is only allowing for 3 of a possible 4 stages of waste treatment to cut down on costs, the waste is not fully treated and the smell is greater.

Talk to your TD/councillors now unless of course you want more s...

The Hill Billy

Spidermany wrote: »

...Yet again, nothing in South Dublin, Malahide or Skerries...

If you have an issue with the treatment plant in the planned location fair enough. But please keep it to that rather than getting into the tired old debate of "why does this happen here & not there? etc, etc, etc". Those debates quickly descend into the usual NIMBY-isms & traditional pseudo-animosities between towns/villages rather than focussing on the real issue.

tHB

Corsendonk

Spidermany wrote: »

http://www.greaterdublindrainage.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/32102900_-ASA-Preliminary-Screening-Outcomes-Report-Final-Low-Resolution_-20111006.pdf

Guess what Fingal Co Co have planned for us now:
a Greater Dublin (City, North county, South County, Dun Laoghaire, Kildare and Meath) waste water treatment plant with sites marked in Rush and Lusk.

Even if the site goes to Portrane, just across the estuary, the prevailing winds will carry the smell over the Rush and Lusk towns for most of the year.

Yet again, nothing in South Dublin, Malahide or Skerries

Plus as the treatment plant is only allowing for 3 of a possible 4 stages of waste treatment to cut down on costs, the waste is not fully treated and the smell is greater.

Talk to your TD/councillors now unless of course you want more s...

Thats the light version report, I was reading the 300+ page version last week. Of note was the initial 4 public consultations they had throughout Fingal of which a grand total of 58 people attended.

The scheme website has more info on further public consultations.
http://www.greaterdublindrainage.ie/

Whats James Reilly view on this or is he moving to Tipperary?:D

On a national security issue does it make sense having gas, electricity and water in the same blast zone?

Spidermany

The Hill Billy wrote: »

Spidermany wrote: »

...Yet again, nothing in South Dublin, Malahide or Skerries...

If you have an issue with the treatment plant in the planned location fair enough. But please keep it to that rather than getting into the tired old debate of "why does this happen here & not there? etc, etc, etc". Those debates quickly descend into the usual NIMBY-isms & traditional pseudo-animosities between towns/villages rather than focussing on the real issue.

tHB

Noted and I have now amended my initial post accordingly. I was just frustrated, but as you say it adds nothing to the debate.

Spidermany

Corsendonk wrote: »

The scheme website has more info on further public consultations.
http://www.greaterdublindrainage.ie/

Everybody should have a look at this website as it gives details of open days when more information is available.

[/

Corsendonk wrote: »

Whats James Reilly view on this or is he moving to Tipperary

I wish

Eoineo

I've noticed an increase in public consultation meetings that only happen either during a weekday or past 8pm. I'm not surprised at the number that attended.

AceCard Jones

Just for the record, Skerries does have a waste water treatment plant, it's at Skerries Point, and it stinks Kelly's Bay out of it most of the year.

Corsendonk

Overview of Scheme

Irish Times August 2011

A SHORTLIST of sites for a new Dublin regional sewage treatment plant, second only in size to the Ringsend sewerage works, will be prepared within weeks.
More than 1,200 public submissions on plans for the plant, which will serve Dublin city and county as well as parts of Meath and Kildare, were published yesterday.
The submissions were overwhelmingly opposed to the selection of Donabate or Portrane in north Co Dublin as a possible site for the plant.
A study published six years ago identified Portrane as the best site for a new municipal plant to satisfy the region’s growing needs. However, Fingal councillors rejected the plan and ordered a review of the study.
The review, completed in 2007, found existing sewerage systems were not adequate to cope with demand, and that a single regional treatment plant was best.
It recommended that the plant still be located in the “northern greater Dublin area”, but not necessarily Portrane. However, it did not rule out Portrane.
Jacobs Engineering and Tobin Consulting Engineers were this year chosen to assess potential sites, while RPS, consultants for the Ringsend sewage plant and the Poolbeg incinerator, are managing public relations and public consultation.
The public consultation process, which took place two months ago, was intended to identify any constraints which should be considered in selecting the site.
Of the 1,200 submissions, more than 1,000 said the site selected for the plant in 2005 should be discounted. A large number of submissions referred to the proposed facility as a “monster” sewage treatment plant, which they said would have catastrophic effects on designated environmental conservation areas such as Rogerstown estuary on the Portrane/Donabate peninsula. Particular mention was made of the threat posed to the Brent geese population.
Local blue flag beaches, coastal walks and golf courses would be ruined by the sight and smell of a sewage plant, according to several submissions.
“What chance then for the enjoyment of a golf outing with the dreadful smell of sewage wafting around the place, on one’s clothes and in one’s nostrils?” a letter asked.
Several submissions raised the concern that Portrane and Donabate were being used as a “dumping ground” for the greater Dublin area. The community had already agreed to a plant to take the waste of the surrounding areas of Rush and Lusk.
Some suggestions were made that an inland location be chosen, such as the planned Nevitt landfill near Lusk or Dublin airport.
Several people raised the concern that Portrane, having previously been identified as a suitable site for the plant, compromised the fairness of the process, leading to a suspicion of predetermination of the outcome.
While a shortlist of sites will soon be determined it is likely to be next year before the final location is selected. A planning application will then be made to An Bord Pleanála.
North County Dublin beaches have repeatedly failed EU water tests since the rejection by councillors of the Portrane plant. Last year Burrow beach in Sutton was one of four beaches nationally to fail minimum water cleanliness tests. Traces of human or animal waste were also found at Balbriggan front strand and Loughshinny.

Further Reading

273 pages of submissions from stakeholders earlier this year mentioned in the above article. I just browsed them myself but some of the submissions point out that Portrane/Donabate new waste treatment have already agreed to take waste from a greatly expanded Rush/Lusk so as THB said this could easily descend into a not in my back garden.

Documented Procedure and Feedback from first consultations.

SeaSide

Okay someone explain this one to me

This site was screened out as full planning permission
has been granted for the proposed Tooman/Nevitt landfill
and it must be considered as a committed development.
Were the landfill and WWTP to be located on the same
land parcel operational and management issues could
arise in particular respect of noise and odour monitoring
and enforcement.
Locating the WWTP within the same land parcel as the
landfill would in all likelihood necessitate a new
application (and EIS) for the landfill site as it would not
be possible to implement the permission and associated
ABP conditions without amendments.
The elevation of the landfill site coupled with its distance
from all load centres is such that significant pumping
costs would be incurred should the WWTP be located
here.
The site and lands surrounding the site are also located
in lands considered to be a highly sensitive landscape



So the location of the landfill in too sensitive for a sewage works but not sensitive enough for a dump

GlennaMaddy

Corsendonk wrote: »

On a national security issue does it make sense having gas, electricity and water in the same blast zone?

And 1 of only 5 internet/telecoms pipes

Duke Fame

I dont think Portrane is on the list of locations for this plant

See FCC press release:
10th October 2011: Fingal County Council has identified nine potential land parcels in the northern part of the Greater Dublin Area (GDA), within which a proposed regional wastewater treatment plant could potentially be located, along with a marine outfall and an orbital drainage system. The ASA Phase One Preliminary Screening Outcomes Report and accompanying maps are published on www.greaterdublindrainage.ie



The new infrastructure is needed to provide sustainable and reliable drainage and wastewater treatment for the GDA to meet current and future economic, industrial and residential demands, to protect the environment and to meet the EU Water Framework Directive standards. Fingal County Council will spend the next six weeks between 10th October and 18th November consulting with the public and will hold Open Days with the Project Team at County Hall, Swords.

The attached map shows the locations of the nine identified land parcels. Maps and details of the land parcels are available to download at: www.greaterdublindrainage.ie. The Report with the maps is also available on display at County libraries in Balbriggan, Baldoyle, Blanchardstown, Garristown, Howth, Malahide, Rush, Skerries, and Swords, the four mobile libraries and the two planning counters: Fingal County Hall, Swords and Blanchardstown Civic Offices. CDs of the Report can be purchased for ?5 and hard copies for ?30 from the two planning counters.

The nine land parcels are:

Annsbrook, approximately 2.5km north east of Ballyboghil (Ballyboughal) (62 hectares).
Baldurgan, approximately 1.6km south east of Ballyboghil (57 ha).
Cloghran, approximately 2.2km east of Dublin Airport and 3.3km south of Swords (32 ha).
Clonshagh (Clonshaugh), approximately 2.5km east of Dublin Airport and 1.3km north of Belcamp and Darndale (40 ha).
Cookstown, approximately 2.5km south east of Ballyboghil (80 ha).
Newtowncorduff, approximately 2.2km west of Lusk (43 ha).
Rathartan, approximately 2 km west of Rush and 3km to the east of Lusk (41 ha).
Saucerstown, approximately 3.3km north west of Swords (36 ha).
Tyrrelstown Little, approximately 2.8km north east of Lusk and 3.6km north west of Rush (114 ha).
Each of the nine potential land parcels is bigger than the approximately 20 hectares that will be required for the proposed new regional wastewater treatment plant, which will cater for wastewater for an estimated 700,000 population equivalent, with the majority of the load coming from the Fingal County Council area.

?The Report published today shows how we mapped existing terrestrial and coastal environmental constraints and developed prudent buffer zones from sensitive receptors to identify areas in which a wastewater treatment works can be located?, says Peter O?Reilly, Project Engineer, Fingal Co Council. ?We will now assess these nine land parcels as potential locations in which to site the regional wastewater treatment plant. We will also assess the routes for the orbital drainage system and the marine outfall pipe locations. These potential locations and routes will be assessed against a range of criteria that include human issues, environmental impacts, technical and cost considerations as the next step in identifying the optimum sites for this vital new infrastructure.?

?We invite local people and all interested stakeholders to attend at any of four Open Days to be held by the Project Team at Fingal County Hall, Swords during October and November. People can also contact the Project Team by phone and email or in writing. Feedback from the Open Days and from all other stakeholder contacts will inform decisions on the eventual preferred site, which may or may not be one of these nine land parcels?, he said. ?We are moving forward with these nine potential land parcels based on our current information. Site specific information, more in-depth desk-top research and site surveys, as well as feedback from the public are needed now to rule out any unsuitable land parcel and to assist in identifying the best location,? he said.

The dates and times for the Open Days in Fingal County Council?s Swords headquarters are:

Saturday 22nd October from 11am to 4pm,
Wednesday 26th October from 2pm to 8pm,
Thursday 3rd November from 2pm to 8pm and
Saturday 5th November from 11am to 4pm.
Comments and queries can be sent to info@greaterdublindrainage.ie, the Project Team can be contacted at 1890 44 55 67 or people can write to Greater Dublin Drainage Project Manager, C/O RPS Group, West Pier Business Campus, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin.

ENDS

Map Attached: For further information: Mary Murphy : 087 233 6415

Fingal County Council Press Office: 01 890 5998

Corsendonk

Presentation on the Dublin Drainage Scheme to FCC.

Starts 1:10 in, you can tick on the menu box nearthe top of screen and select point 25 to bring you to the presentation

http://www.fingalcoco.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/65912

Sorry sometimes the sound gives out but worth watching the individual cllrs reaction. The D15 cllrs think its a great scheme because no locations in their ward, the howth-malahide ward are worried about their "velvet strand" and Ken Farrell is pissed about Lusk getting chosen all the time. I have to agree with him.

shanemasseyman

meeting about it tomorrow night at 8 in Murrays lounge, the Square in lusk.

Dave623

listen unless Lusk wans the smell of crap from 4 counties daily on it's door and unable to open windows or send the kids out we need to get this stopped and start objecting to:

info@greaterdublindrainage.ie

philip.hogan@oireachtas.ie

any other email addresses welcome, keep bombarding them

we have Ballyeally and the proposed Superdump already, we have been dumped on enough.

shamu2new

Well judging from the great turnout at the public meeting the people of Lusk have definately had enough of being the dumping ground of north county dublin for Fingal County Council. between reform schools, baleally, thornton hall, the nevitt, baleallys supposed remedial works, the new murphys quarry, population has more tha n doubled with the building of loads of new estates its getting to be a bit ridiculous - this I predict will be the proverbial last straw - Lusk People - get out there and let your voice be heard. Public Consultation is on NOW... even though most of the public in Lusk have no idea this is on the cards so its difficult to consult when no one knows about it - at least the public meeting will kick start a cohesive campaign now...

I noticed while doing some research for my own objections that Fingal Co Co is planning on reactivating the leachate treatment plant in Baleally Dump so that it can pump stuff to the new donabate plant - whats next - the reopening of baleally???

someone at the meeting pointed out that Skerries will be the area most affected by smell due to the prevailing wind directions.....I dont know - there has to be a better way than pumping the sewage all around dublin to get to the heart of the market garden area of Fingal - so much for core values. This affects everyone.

Anyway a reminder Get coherent, sound objections into the email addresses in above post before the 18th November 2011.

sorry for the rant but Im fed up with our local authority ruining the area I live in - where is the fairness in dumping everything in Lusk - share it around - we have our fair share of unsavoury planning projects already.

Corsendonk

Labour in Dublin North East Constituency are the first out of the traps with the not in my back garden.


http://www.labour.ie/seankenny/news/

Issued : Thursday 13 October, 2011

Dublin North East TD Seán Kenny today warned that the proposals for sewerage treatment could have negative impact on Portmarnock Beach and Dunes.

"A presentation was made to Fingal Co Council on Monday last relating to the provision of the proposed new Super Sewerage Treatment Plant in north Dublin. This treatment plant would be on par with Ringsend on the Southside of Dublin and developed over approximately 20 years when even the current North Fringe Sewer, which presently goes to Ringsend, would be diverted northwards.
"The two sites locally are Cloghran and Clonshaugh. The coast at Portmarnock and Baldoyle is something that is being looked at, specifically at Baldoyle estuary and off the Velvet Strand.
"I have had further clarification from the consultants about this. They have stated that (given the nature reserves and designations) such an outfall would have to be done via a tunnel under the Baldoyle Estuary and Portmarnock dunes out a distance of 8km, beyond Ireland's Eye.

"It is important for residents to note that they can get involved with the public consultation for the plans for the project. Fingal County Council has published a Report identifying nine potential land parcels in the northern part of the Greater Dublin Area, for further investigation as possible locations for a new regional wastewater treatment works, associated marine outfall locations and routes for the orbital drainage system.
"The report and accompanying map is available to download from www.greaterdublindrainage.ie. Fingal County Council is undertaking six weeks of consultation with all interested parties from 10th October to 18th November 2011 on the potential land involved and the issues that should be considered in determining the ultimate locations for this vital new infrastructure.
"Residents and those concerned can attend any of four Open Days* to be held in Fingal County Council, Main Street, Swords, where the Project Team will be available to discuss the Report and listen to your views.
"Written submissions can be sent, before 18th November 2011, to - Greater Dublin Drainage Project Manager, C/O RPS Group, West Pier Business Campus, Dun Laoghaire Co Dublin. You can also e-mail for further information to - info@greaterdublindrainage.ie and I would urge residents to engage in the consultation process" Sean Kenny TD concluded.

SeaSide

Corsendonk wrote: »

not in my back garden.

how about I'll look after my own sh1t and you can look after yours and so can kildare and meath and wicklow and west dublin and south dublin. I'm already going to be taking all your landfill and my back yard is full... What's in yours?

Corsendonk

SeaSide wrote: »

how about I'll look after my own sh1t and you can look after yours and so can kildare and meath and wicklow and west dublin and south dublin. I'm already going to be taking all your landfill and my back yard is full... What's in yours?

Whats in my back garden is my own business!!:D Just to take your idea a little further. Whats to stop the other counties and other parts of Dublin saying ok but saying by the way we keep our water etc? DCN has very few major rivers and the Ring of the Commons aquafer has never really realised early expectations. Also I be a bit wary extracting ground water from Rush and Lusk area with the intensive use of pesticides over the last 40 years. The easy option for authorities is to place these type of facilitates in the rural parts of the county which looking at google satalite images is DCN

SeaSide

Corsendonk wrote: »

Whats in my back garden is my own business!!:D Just to take your idea a little further. Whats to stop the other counties and other parts of Dublin saying ok but saying by the way we keep our water etc? DCN has very few major rivers and the Ring of the Commons aquafer has never really realised early expectations. Also I be a bit wary extracting ground water from Rush and Lusk area with the intensive use of pesticides over the last 40 years. The easy option for authorities is to place these type of facilitates in the rural parts of the county which looking at google satalite images is DCN

If you want me to take one for the team then perfectly valid to ask what your contribution is going to be.

Adding a super dump to the mix isn't going to do the ground water any good either is it?

There is even more low population areas within the greater dublin drainage area than NCD but would it not be fairer to treat locally rather than ****ting on one area?

Corsendonk

SeaSide wrote: »

If you want me to take one for the team then perfectly valid to ask what your contribution is going to be.

Adding a super dump to the mix isn't going to do the ground water any good either is it?

There is even more low population areas within the greater dublin drainage area than NCD but would it not be fairer to treat locally rather than ****ting on one area?

Clarify the first bold statement please? Are you assumming I am a FCC spokesperson or something?

Secondly are you looking for a local treatment plant for Rush and Lusk for the existing sewage waste?

Beasty

SeaSide wrote: »

If you want me to take one for the team then perfectly valid to ask what your contribution is going to be.

Please do not get personal

Posters are entitled to their comments without such "challenges" from other posters

Corsendonk has already indicated in an earlier post that he is in agreement with Ken Farrell's negative comments about Lusk being "chosen all the time"

Thanks

Beasty

Corsendonk

Public Meeting in Rush Tonight

Rush Needs You Facebook

Don't let them (further) destroy our town......
See you at the Public Meeting tonight
Rush Community Centre 8.30pm.
NO SEWAGE PLANT IN RUSH! ENOUGH OF THEIR CRAP!

Also got a letter in the Door from Sen. Darragh O'Brien saying that FF was against its location near Rush and FF were always against this project.

I think Seaside took my press cutting post about Sean Kenny Labour comments up wrong. What I was pointing out was that the politicians in that particular part of DCN have already got off the mark to rule out their area. More power to them but no point each ward or constituency in NCD doing their own thing against individual sites. A more united front is needed if people don't want this site anywhere in Fingal.

The fact is that the Dublin Drainage Scheme is

Greater Dublin Drainage is being led by Fingal County Council on behalf of the following Local Authorities in the Greater Dublin Area, including Dublin City Council, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Meath County Council, Kildare County Council and South Dublin County Council.

and the Project Engineers are

Peter O’Reilly, Project Engineer, Fingal County Council.
Aoife Lawler, Senior Executive Engineer, Fingal County Council.

So all those FCC Councillors that will turn up at these public meetings backing local supporters and complaining why it can't be located in other parts of Dublin, can they explain why Fingal got lumped with planning and hosting this project? It seems like they knew since the early 00s that it was going to be located in Fingal but weren't overly concerned until now that they realised it might be in their ward. Also whilst I agree with Cllr Ken Farrell comments about Lusk, some of the leading opposition to the locations has come from the Labour Party and Labour Councillors, the same Labour Party that is the largest party in FCC

If there so set against it why can't they block the scheme from ever starting in Fingal? Of the 23 Councillors on FCC, 8 are Labour, FF 4 Councilllors are against the scheme and we know the 3 Socialist Councillors will vote a populist No to anything. Do councillors actually have any power in local government or should we just install a management company to run FCC and sack the councillors?

Or do Councillors/TDs/Senators know that we greatly need this scheme due to the rapid expansion of Fingal population largely due to the same politicians lobbying for planning permission during the Celtic Tiger. But the truth doesn't win many elections.

Waffle

Hi all,
A website and facebook page have been set up by concerned Lusk residents.
www.LuskWasteWatchers.com
www.facebook.com/LuskWasteWatchers

This is a work in progress so please check regularly. The facebook page shows a number of maps illustrating how close these proposed sites are to the villages of Lusk, Rush and Ballyboughal. The council has applied a buffer zone of only 300 metres from houses/business etc. Everything outside of that is fair game.

It is not just the proximity to housing that is the concern. There is also the issue of access to the sites. 36000 trucks a year to remove the solid residue and to bring in sludge from other plants that don't have capacity for final treatment phase. All on existing roads!
This can't happen.
Regards,
Paul.

shanemasseyman

bad idea putting it in lusk/rush area. its the best ground for growing veg in the country and with that slap bang in the middle the supermarkets wont take any crops off feilds with in a certin area of it, making land worthless and destroying the farming community thats left

Corsendonk

shanemasseyman wrote: »

bad idea putting it in lusk/rush area. its the best ground for growing veg in the country and with that slap bang in the middle the supermarkets wont take any crops off feilds with in a certin area of it, making land worthless and destroying the farming community thats left

Yes I think people have overlooked this point, good growing horticulture land is actually very limited in Ireland hence the reason most of Ireland grazes animals. With the rising Irish population and continued rising food costs down the line its a fairly stupid decision building on prime horticulture land. Already Rush, Skerries and Lusk have lost some of Irelands best land to housing that will never ever be recovered. Projects like this scheme should be on Brown field sites not green but its easier for planners to start with a fresh canvas.

Good turn out on Saturday

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JffwSZjYevI

Does anyone know the local politicians stance on this project?

LeoB

shanemasseyman wrote: »

bad idea putting it in lusk/rush area. its the best ground for growing veg in the country and with that slap bang in the middle the supermarkets wont take any crops off feilds with in a certin area of it, making land worthless and destroying the farming community thats left

Yes and I would think this is the major concern for anyone involved in Horticulture but also the wider community who realise the damage it would do to the local economey.

I believe "spin" says the North beach is not used by swimmers and the funny thing is yesterday afternoon I saw 3 people swimming over near the cliffs, its also quite popular with Canoe's Also no fishing in the area!! Everyday I see the lobster boats from Loughshinny and Rush working the fishing grounds between the Islands at Skerries and Lambay.

There seems to be quite a good campaign starting and hopefully it will be succesful. Well done to the people who got this campaign up and running in Rush, Lusk and Ballyboughal.

There is little doubt on this issue EVERYONE needs to get behind the campaign and people with any expertise should step forward also. Rush Needs You is one thing but now the reality is the whole area needs your expertise and knowledge.

The Hill Billy

From the Skerries Facebook page:

Skerries wrote:

Loughshinny Emergency Meeting about the Sewerage Plant tonight, Wednesday November 9 at 8.00 in the Community Centre Loughshinny
Dear Residents and Neighbours,
You are invited to attend an emergency meeting to discuss this SEWERAGE PLANT and to put in place a plan of action.
All are welcome, please inform all your neighbour’s in Rush, Lusk,Skerries as this will impact on us all.
Mary Markey Marian Bentley
Chairperson Secretary

The Hill Billy

More...

Skerries wrote:

Skerries Community Association will hold a Public Meeting on Monday 14th November at 7.30pm in the Rugby Club, on the current proposal by Fingal County Council to build a Regional Sewage Treatment plant, terminate a Regional Orbital Sewer and build a Marine Outfall for treated effluent in a North County Dublin location. Please see www.skerriesca.com for more details

Unshelved

Some good coverage of the meetings in Loughshinny and Skerries here - http://fctv.ie/

What's strange is that public representatives to a (wo)man are against this, and yet it's still being imposed on us. Where's democracy in all this?

The date for objections has been extended until December 2nd. If you feel strongly about Fingal yet again being used as the dump for the Greater Dublin, Meath and Kildare areas then it's time to make your voice heard.

seagull

The deadline for submissions is December 2. If you haven't already put in an objection, please do so.

Unshelved

More details from the Skerries Community Association website here -
http://skerriesca.com/

martinn123

Minister Howlin, agrees to have plan '' reviewed''

Not sure what this means, but with the upcoming Budget, perhaps there are no funds available for such a plan

http://myswords.ie/2011/11/24/government-minister-agrees-to-review-planned-sewage-plant/

Cardinal Richelieu

How come FCC needs a site of 20 hectares for the treatment works but one of the 9 selected is 114 hectares? Isn't that a bit excessive and a waste of taxpayers money? Or is there another development in the future if they select that site?


The Irish Times - Thursday, December 1, 2011

OPPOSITION IS mounting across north Co Dublin to plans for a new €500 million regional sewage plant to serve up to 700,000 people in Dublin city and county, as well as parts of Meath and Kildare.
Nine sites, all in Fingal, have been selected as potential locations for the plant, which would be second in size only to the Ringsend sewage works.
The closing date for public submissions on the proposed locations is tomorrow. Reclaim Fingal, an alliance of opposition groups from each of the targeted communities, said it intended to present about 10,000 submissions against the proposal to Fingal County Council.
Controversy over the location of a large municipal sewage plant in north Co Dublin has been brewing for six years. The need for a second regional plant for Dublin and its surrounding counties was identified in the Greater Dublin Strategic Drainage Study, commissioned by Fingal on behalf of the four Dublin local authorities and published in 2005.
The study identified Portrane, north Co Dublin, as the best location for the plant. Opposition to the selection of Portrane was rapidly organised and extremely vocal, with actor and local resident Stephen Rea among those backing the campaign.
In November 2005, Fingal councillors rejected the plan for Portrane and ordered a review of the study. The review, completed in 2007, found a single regional treatment plant was still required and that the selection of the northern greater Dublin area was correct.
The review did not rule Portrane in or out of contention, but recommended that a new process of site selection begin.
Jacobs Engineering and Tobin Consulting Engineers were chosen this year to assess potential sites. Following their assessment, Portrane was taken out of the mix.
The nine potential locations are in townlands stretching from just south of Skerries to just north of Darndale. While the townlands would be unknown to most people, they are closest to the towns of Rush, Lusk, Swords, Portmarnock, Malahide and the village of Loughshinny.
The decision to eliminate Portrane from consideration was not due to political or public pressure, project engineer with Fingal County Council Peter O’Reilly said.
“Portrane has been screened out. There have been a number of archaeological and environmental designations that have been introduced since 2005 that mean the site is no longer suitable.”
He said the nine potential locations would be narrowed down next spring or early summer.
Reclaim Fingal chairman Brian Hosford said the group was greatly encouraged by the success of the Portrane campaign.
“The campaign is really ramping up; we hope to submit around 10,000 [objections] to the county hall on Friday and we are very hopeful that the separate communities, by sticking together, can defend themselves against this monster sewage plant.”
The campaign was not an exercise in “nimbyism”, Mr Hosford added. “This is not a case of ‘not in my back yard’, its a case of ‘not in anyone’s back yard’.
“This is not the correct solution. The potential for environmental disaster with a plant this size is enormous. There should be a series of local plants instead of pumping sewage from everywhere around the M50 into Fingal.”
A series of smaller plants had been considered, Mr O’Reilly said, but one large regional plant was determined to have a lesser potential impact on the environment.
In addition to objections from community groups, a number of sports organisations, including fishing and gun clubs, are opposing the plant.
The Irish Farmers Association also plans to make a submission to the council tomorrow outlining its concerns about the scale of the facility and its proximity to horticultural land.
Sites shortlist: 20 hectares required for new sewage plant

A PLOT of 20 hectares is required for the development of the new regional plant, which will cater for the sewage of up to 700,000 people and will accommodate the overflow from the Ringsend sewage treatment works.
Nine potential locations have been selected in townlands in the Fingal local authority area. From north to south the sites under consideration are at:
* Tyrrelstown Little (114 ha), 2.8km northeast of Lusk and 3.6km northwest of Rush, close to Loughshinny;
* Rathartan (41 ha), 2km west of Rush and 3km to the east of Lusk;
* Newtowncorduff (43 ha) 2.2km west of Lusk.
Moving further inland are the less densely populated areas of:
* Annsbrook (62 ha), 2.5km northeast of Ballyboughal;
* Baldurgan (57ha), 1.6km southeast of Ballyboughal;
* Cookstown (80ha), 2.5km southeast of Ballyboughal.
Still in a rural setting but moving back towards a more populated area is:
* Saucerstown (36 ha) 3.3km northwest of Swords; and
* Cloghran (32 ha), 3.3km south of Swords.
The final land parcel is at
* Clonshaugh (40 ha), just outside of Dublin city, 1.3km north of Belcamp and Darndale.
Following assessment of the public submissions, a further narrowing of the options will take place next spring into early summer. There will then be another round of public consultation. The preferred site is due for selection by the end of next year.
A planning application is expected to be submitted to An Bord Pleanála in 2013. Construction is due to begin in 2017 and the plant should be operational by 2020.

The Hill Billy

In the instance of Tyrrellstown it may be that the available land for suitable development in area is 114 ha, but that only 20 ha will be required for the actual build. One would hope that they would only purchase the 20 ha required.

But at 114 ha - the Tyrrellstown site would be as big as (if not bigger than) Ardgillan Demesne.

Unshelved

Time is running out for those of you who want to object to the Greater Dublin Waste Water Treatment Plant - all submissions must be received by tomorrow, Friday 2nd December.

You can email info@greaterdublindrainage.ie or post your letter to -

Greater Dublin Drainage
RPS Group
West Pier Business Campus
Dun Laoghaire
Co. Dublin

If you're not sure what to say, have a look here - http://skerriesca.com/?q=node/526 or here - http://www.luskwastewatchers.com/#/how-to-object/4556919252

If you're in Skerries, you can sign the petition in Gerry's and Supervalu - where there are information stands today - and also at Greg Reddin's, Eurospar and C&T's Supermarket.

Please take the time to make your voice heard.

shanemasseyman

protest on monday at 3.30 in swords at the county council offices. try and make it, we need our voices heard!!

Cardinal Richelieu

shanemasseyman wrote: »

protest on monday at 3.30 in swords at the county council offices. try and make it, we need our voices heard!!

Fairplay to those that turned up in Swords today in really bitter conditions. Rush Needs You facebook page has a fair few images of the protest. One slight note of caution, if you look closely at certain photos the headline above the placards was "Sinn Fein" and also some protesters were holding up copies of the Socialist newspapers. So it seems the usually hijack a protest brigade turned up to make a political statement. Some day that crowd is going to make a serious mistake and join the back of a funeral with their placards.


I have to say a good few of my questions were answered at the monthly meeting today which I watched live. The need for one large treatment plant rather than a series of small works, technology involved etc You should be able to see at the below link in the next couple of days. Worth a watch if you want to be informed by more than a one liner on Facebook or Twitter or the fellow in the pub.

http://www.fingalcoco.public-i.tv/core/


The main serious note that came out for me at the meeting was not the Dublin Drainage Scheme but the number of Local Councillors that admitted signing this plant off under the Fingal Development plan that now object to it because they weren't aware of the consequences. It begs the question whatelse did they signoff that they weren't aware of?

FCC Minutes 23 March 2011

It was proposed by Councillor K. Farrell and seconded by Councillor P. Coyle and RESOLVED:

“It is hereby resolved that Fingal County Council of the County of Fingal being the Planning Authority for the County of Fingal exclusive of any Borough or Urban district within, having reviewed the Fingal Development Plan, 2005-2011, and having published a draft of a new development plan for the County entitled “Fingal Draft Development Plan 2011-2017 and having taken into account objections and representations received and having considered the report of the County Manager, regarding this 2011-2017 Draft Development Plan and having further published Proposed Amendments to the said 2011-2017 Draft Development Plan and having taken into account the further representations made and having considered the report of the County Manager, with respect to such Proposed Amendments hereby adopts for the purpose of making the Fingal Development Plan 2011-2017 the documents entitled “Fingal Development Plan 2011-2017 comprising sheets 1-16 and Written Statement decided by the Council at the special meetings held on the 22nd and 23rd March 2011 (which documents have been signed for identification purposes by Mr. Gilbert Power, Director of Services, Planning and in accordance with the provisions of the Planning & Development Acts 2000-2010 hereby make the Fingal Development Plan, 2011-2017 and it is further resolved that the Seal of the Council be affixed to the revised document entitled “Fingal Development Plan 2011-2017 comprising sheets 1 to 16 and Written Statement as amended by the Council at special meetings held on the 22nd and 23rd March 2011 and that the necessary notices for the making of the Plan, be published in accordance with the said Acts.”

The Motion was put and on a division the voting resulted as follows:

For: 21 (Twenty One)
Against: 3 (Three)

For: Councillors Butler, Byrne, Coyle, Dennison, Devitt, Farrell, Hamill, Kelleher, Lavin, Loftus, Maher, McGuinness, McGuire, McKeon, Murray, Nulty, O’Brien, O’Callaghan, O’Connor, O’Donovan, O’Leary.

Against: Councillors Coppinger E., Coppinger R., Waine.


The Mayor, Councillor K. Farrell declared the Motion PASSED:

So they reviewed considered, then reviewed and considered again but failed to spot that the Dublin Drainage Scheme might be in their Ward? You couldn't make this up. What's the point in getting them to sign off the Development plan if they haven't got a clue whats in it or how its objectives will effect Fingal? It just makes the document worthless and a waste of taxpayers money.

Carawaystick

Cardinal Richelieu wrote: »

So they reviewed considered, then reviewed and considered again but failed to spot that the Dublin Drainage Scheme might be in their Ward? You couldn't make this up. What's the point in getting them to sign off the Development plan if they haven't got a clue whats in it or how its objectives will effect Fingal? It just makes the document worthless and a waste of taxpayers money.

Could you point out where any of the 9 proposed locations are zoned for a sewage treatment plant in the development plan?
The Ringsend sewage plant is in an industrial zoned area. The largest Heavy industry zoned area is near Kilshane cross, where the Fingal Sludge management plan envisages a sludge treatment plant. It's hardly unreasonable to councillors to expect a heavy industry be sited in a heavy industry zoned site?
Rather than a rural zoned site?

Cardinal Richelieu

Carawaystick wrote: »

Could you point out where any of the 9 proposed locations are zoned for a sewage treatment plant in the development plan?
The Ringsend sewage plant is in an industrial zoned area. The largest Heavy industry zoned area is near Kilshane cross, where the Fingal Sludge management plan envisages a sludge treatment plant. It's hardly unreasonable to councillors to expect a heavy industry be sited in a heavy industry zoned site?
Rather than a rural zoned site?

I assume you read my previous posts were I voiced my preference on a brown field site. But your right the plan doesn't mention the 9 proposed locations but was it too much to ask that one or two coucillors would have asked for a brown field site to be in the design brief and ring fenced that in the Fingal Development Plan? Due Diligence or in simple terms "Cover your arse"

Dave623

Lusk has to stop this way too near the village

http://www.greaterdublindrainage.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Plans_021111_Aerial_Newtowncorduff.pdf

Unshelved

PROPOSED MONSTER SEWAGE PLANT GETS AIRING ON PAT KENNY SHOW, RADIO 1 (10.00-12.00am) THURSDAY 9 JANUARY



RTE Radio Journalist, Valerie Cox, will be reporting on the proposed monster sewage treatment plant to be located in North Fingal. She visited Skerries yesterday (Tuesday) and interviewed a number of local people about the proposed plant - PJ Jones, Chairman of the Irish Horticultural Association, Charlie Heasman, Jane Landy, Chairperson of SCA, Emily Diebold of Skerries Adopt a Beach and Berniann Condon of the Reclaim Fingal Alliance. In studio, the issue will be debated with Pat Kenny by resident David Cooke and a representative from Fingal County Council.

SeaSide

Looks like all views have been ignored

http://www.greaterdublindrainage.com/2012/04/16/gdd-asa-p1-consultation-rp/

Spidermany

Now we have to wait and see where the three locations are.

SeaSide

From Reclaim Fingal Facebook page

THE THREE UNLUCKY SITES NAMED:
Annsbrook, Approx 10km north of Dublin airport and approximately 2.7km west of Lusk with a marine outfall in the Northern Outfall Study Area, in the vicinity of Loughshinny
Newtowncorduff, Approx 10km north of Dublin airport and approximately 1.0km west of Lusk, with a marine outfall in the Northern Outfall Study Area, in the vicinity of Loughshinny
Clonshagh/ Clonshaugh, Approx 2.2km east of Dublin Airport, with a marine outfall in the Southern Outfall Area, to the north east of Ireland’s Eye.

Cardinal Richelieu

This topic seems to have died a death since the shortlist was announced. Even the thread in infrastructure has died down. The naming of the Clonshagh/Clonshaugh site among the shortlist seems to have caught the Reclaim Fingal protesters on the hop. Personally speaking I am pleasantly surprised that the Newtowncorduff is the one Lusk site picked when you consider who happens to be the landowner of 84 acres of the townland to the North East of the site. It shows that lobbying from powerful political figures didn't play apart in the selection of the shortlist. Would that have ever happened in the old days of Nod Nod Wink Wink?

Unshelved

Save our Shores have a stand in Skerries at the finale of the Rás on Sunday to inform people about the planned protest at Fingal Co Council, Swords, on 30th May. Three representatives from Save our Shores were on TV3 last week speaking about the proposed treatment plant and their opposition to it.

There are more details about the protest on the Skerries facebook page. I don't have access to facebook so can't provide a link.

SeaSide

I've been checking some of the numbers behind this proposal.

There are three treatment plants in North Dublin of relevance. Swords, Malahide and Donabate with the following capacities:
60,000PE, 20,000PE and 65,000PE (Figures from Fingal CoCo website) serving populations of 43,000, 14,000 and 28,200 (Donabate, Portrane, Rush, Lusk) according to 2011 census. Swords can be expanded to 90,000PE.

So even including Swords and Malahide in the catchment of the project seems to be a significant stretch (I would use unparliamentary language here).

This means that Fingal CoCo are looking to build a 25km pipeline going from the M2/M50 junction to Loughshinny instead of using the existing North Fringe Sewer which would require minimal additional construction. 25km in a straight line would take you from Dublin City to well beyond Ahsbourne. At a cost of €500 per metre (guestimate) that's an additional and unwarranted €12.5million to deliver this project onto out doorsteps.

Scubadevils

Went to the protest march today in Swords, I would have thought a lot more people would have attended, numbers quite disappointing really. Do people in the area not give a sht? Pardon the pun...

LeoB

Scubadevils wrote: »

Went to the protest march today in Swords, I would have thought a lot more people would have attended, numbers quite disappointing really. Do people in the area not give a sht? Pardon the pun...

I didnt see any advertising of this proteast around. I could not have gone anyway

Cardinal Richelieu

Scubadevils wrote: »

Went to the protest march today in Swords, I would have thought a lot more people would have attended, numbers quite disappointing really. Do people in the area not give a sht? Pardon the pun...

Just maybe most of the good citizens of Fingal don't have a problem with the scheme after they read about the scheme and now know the final shortlist.

Can anyone give me a rational argument how this plant will threaten Fingals Horticulture industry? It seems to be one of the major objection points.

I was a little concerned at the start due to the plot sizes but the future plant will be only 20h.

SeaSide

Cardinal Richelieu wrote: »

Just maybe most of the good citizens of Fingal don't have a problem with the scheme after they read about the scheme and now know the final shortlist.

Probably because most of the good citizen's of Fingal are quite happy for it to be someone else's problem. Or else they have recognised that the CoCo will do what they want, where they want in any case like the notice that was taken of people's views so far.

Cardinal Richelieu wrote: »

Can anyone give me a rational argument how this plant will threaten Fingals Horticulture industry? It seems to be one of the major objection points.

I don't know and you don't know either but perception in the case of food production is what the industry lives or dies by. If you want an example look at the effect of BSE and the dioxin scare in pork a few years ago or the German version of the food safety authority that wrongly blaming Spanish cucumbers for an outbreak of food poisoning. They couldn't give them away.

Cardinal Richelieu wrote: »

I was a little concerned at the start due to the plot sizes but the future plant will be only 20h.

This is what they start with and then they add. What gets me is the amount of pipeline that will be required to reach the sites in Lusk. Two pipelines one running from the M50/N2 junction and the other from around Clarehall via Swords. Probably 50km of pipeline in total.