Environmental concerns over gas plant plans for Mayo

Mayo planners have "certain anxieties" about a gas plant which Enterprise Oil wants to build in the county, according to an official. Ms Breda Gorman, a senior executive planner in Mayo County Council, said it had received about 26 objections to the Enterprise project for a gas reception plant. These were received from individuals and groups of individuals, she said. Some letters were signed by 16 or 17 people.

The proposed plant at Bellinaboy will treat gas from the Corrib field before it is supplied into the national system via a pipeline to Galway.

Enterprise's board had sanctioned commercial development of the Corrib field, 70 kms off the Co Mayo coast, with its partners Statoil and Marathon Petroleum.

Gas from the £400 million (#508 million) project is expected to become available in late 2003.

However, Mayo County Council sought clarification from Enterprise about elements of the reception plant project on January 17th. An Enterprise spokesman said last week it would respond in about a month.

Ms Gorman said the possible impact of the removal of 500,000 cubic metres of peat on water quality at Carrowmore Lake "was not addressed" by Enterprise. The peat was acidic and could damage its water if it was not disposed of properly and entered the lake. Group water schemes in the area take supplies from the lake.

"We had concern in relation to drainage and how surface water was going to be removed in its impact on adjoining water courses."

Other aspects of Enterprise's environmental impact statement (EIS) were questioned by the county council. Elements of its landscaping plans were unclear, Ms Gorman said. She also said the socio-economic impact of the project was unclear.

While Enterprise claimed it would create jobs at the plant, Ms Gorman said the EIS did not address the skills level of the workforce available in Co Mayo.

Once Enterprise provides information to the council, it will have two months to make its decision. That decision can be appealed to An Bord Pleanala for a period of up to a month after it is published.