Will You Miss This?

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skerries

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The hidden Milverton Quarry in Skerries, Co Dublin

That magical old quarry?

David Diebold writes:

Some time ago, you featured a spectacular photo of a hidden quarry at Skerries, Co Dublin, with great cliff faces descending to a turquoise lake. Your readers could hardly believe such a beautiful place existed so near Dublin.

Well, Roadstone is filling it in. Looks like the EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] will grant a license despite the established presence of nesting Peregrine Falcons, otters and kingfishers. Submissions against the plan [deadline February 11] will cost individuals €200 a pop. I’m no tree hugger, but, c’mon…

Skerries (Facebook)

Previously: You Won’t Get This

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27 thoughts on “Will You Miss This?

    1. Idiot Watch

      Lots of stories to tell about CRH. But this country doesn’t allow people tell the truth unless you have an army of lawyers and endless money to prove your case at a defamation trial.

      You may as well live in North Korea.

  1. spork

    people complain when these things get dug, then they complain when they get filled. EPA must be thinking “rock and a hard place”.

  2. Spaghetti Hoop

    The turquoise hue of the water indicates its toxicity: a result of the quarrying chemicals. Not sure if that’s enough to warrant it’s filling-in – would need to read the EPA report.

      1. Spaghetti Hoop

        There’s a solution called Dexpan which is used to infiltrate and crack open the rock. This, along with general waste, motor fuel etc. contribute to polluting the water. Loads of these turquoise pools in Australia. People think they’re idyllic places to swim in because of the water colour and the artificial cliffs.

  3. medieval knievel

    was the backfill a condition of the quarry licence originally being granted, maybe?
    might not be beyond the bounds of possibility that roadstone might jump at the chance to walk away from the site with no further obligations.

  4. Eamonn Clancy

    I imagine the man who decided on this course of action to be the sort of chap one saw in Punch magazine, over a hundred years ago; a pig under one arm, a pipe in hand on the other and him jumping in the air clicking his heels delighted with himself.

  5. Bruce

    THe EPA specify only clean earth and rock vcan be backfilled (providing a buffer against pollutants enetering the vulnerable groundwater system.
    The cliff left exposed so the peregrine falcon can stay nesting therte and the site to be finished to NPWS satisfaction.
    Dunno what the fuss is about.
    Unless it’s because you like to swim there?

    1. John Mcdermott

      The Secretary
      Office of Climate, Licensing & Resource Use
      PO Box 3000
      Johnstown Castle Estate, County Wexford
      11 February 2014

      Re: Objection to proposed grant of Waste Liscence – W0272-01
      Request for Oral Hearing
      Milverton Waste Recovery Facility, Milverton, Skerries, County Dublin

      Dear Sirs;

      We wish to object to the proposed Waste Licence for a Soil Recovery Facility at a disused quarry at Milverton, Skerries, County Dublin and request an oral hearing.

      The proposed licensed activities include the processing of and storage of recycling construction materials, soil cleaning, composting and other biological transformation processes.

      Serious concerns arise that appear not to have been addressed. These include the economic and social impact of the proposal on the property values. The Inspector states:

      ‘There is no evidence presented to suggest that local property will be devalued due to the presence of this waste soil recovery facility. In any event this is not a matter that is within the remit of the Agency.’

      Whose remit is it? The applicant states that

      Fingal Co. Council carried out a review of the planning status in 2012 in accordance with the requirements of Section 261A of the Planning Development Acts. That review determined that Roadstone should apply for Subsequent Consent. However An Bord Pleanala subsequently determined that Substitute Consent was not required on the basis that the quarrying operation was a pre-1964 operation and therefore decided to set aside the Council’s determination.

      Thus it would appear that the normal requirements of proper planning and development have not been undertaken on the grounds that the quarrying operation was a pre-1964 development. But the proposed development is not for quarrying. It includes soil reclamation from natural, clean soil and stone but also permits gasification and pyrolisis as part of composting and other biological treatment.
      In transport demands alone, these are socially contentious operations. According to the EPA Guidance Manuel:

      “Biological treatment” means composting, anaerobic digestion, mechanical-biological treatment or any other biological treatment process for stabilising and sanitising biodegradable waste, including pre-treatment processes.

      How can an exemption for quarrying apply to anaerobic digestion? Gasification and pyrolisis were not even envisaged in 1964. This would be Alice in Wonderland were it not that residents have constitutional rights of ownership that the planning system is there to balance with the common good.

      The Planning Appeals Board should attend an oral hearing to explain their position and demonstrate how the proper planning and development is served with this proposal exempted.

      If the file is correct in stating that any Discharge Licence will no longer apply to the operations at this location once a Waste Licence is issued then further attention must be given to the discharge conditions, especially to surface waters. Dissolved solids must be sampled as well as suspended solids and sampling must be continuous.

      The submission from Fingal County Council recorded in the Inspector’s Report states that ‘there must be no discharge of suspended solids or any deleterious matter to watercourses and that the applicant should be asked for his proposals to ensure that there is not a wash out from the settlement ponds during periods of heavy rainfall.’ No such proposal appear to have been provided, the Inspectors response simply repeating reliance on the pump controls (‘affording control of discharges to the receiving water’) when the issue is a wash out which overwhelms the pumping system.

      Aside from national protection, internationally, Peregrines are also listed in Appendix 1 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). This is the highest level of protection given to any species – the same level of protection given to tigers and Giant pandas and reflects the importance given to the species by the international community. We were also unable to find surveys for critical species (like bats).

      The value of the site for nature conservation in an area where intensive agriculture has removed traditional small field patterns with their hedgerows and shelters has not been assessed. In fact, the current and future potential for a biodiversity hotspot to support our obligations under the Biodiversity Convention appears to be absent from any considerations, as has the amenity value.

      In these circumstances, we would be grateful if the Agency reassessed its decision and sought the views of all parties through an oral hearing before determining this licence application.

      Yours, etc.,

      Tony Lowes

  6. gravitas

    This blog post says that this site has been used traditionally, going back years to build walls and roads and stone cutters were employed there. https://hfryan.wordpress.com/tag/milverton-quarry/

    Apparently a stream feeds into it, which would explain the presence of fish and if there are fish, I would guess it wouldn’t be so toxic as to be uninhabitable. Why destroy it? I could be turned into a wildlife sanctuary.

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