GREENPEACE Ireland yesterday turned down an environmental award for its water education pack. "Living Downstream", in protest against alleged Government inaction on water pollution, particularly in Nenagh.
"We are happy to know that the Department of the Environment views our education pack so highly, but given the situation we cannot accept this award," said its executive director, Ms Clare O'Grady Walshe.
Ms Lisa Mooney, author of the education pack, said it would be "farcical" to accept the award while criticising the authorities for "inadequately responding to the worst pollution of drinking water Ireland has ever known".
Ms O'Grady Walshe said Greenpeace could not, in any case, have accepted the £1,000 prize which went with the award because of the organisation's policy of not taking money from governmental organisations.
Other winners of the 1996 Environmental Awareness Awards included the Chambers of Commerce of Ireland, for a report demonstrating the value to companies of implementing environmental management systems.
The Dublin based Sunflower Project, which aims to rejuvenate inner city sites, also won £5,000. Other prizes went to BirdWatch Ireland, the Irish Wildlife Trust, An Taisce, Global Action Plan and the Cutting Edge youth film group.
Altogether, 69 projects won awards from a total of 154 applicants. The scheme is administered by the Department of the Environment and is now in its 10th year.
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