Sir, - On behalf of Ballyglasson Environmental Action Group, I wish to take issue with Mr Laurence Power (August 27th) when he describes the suggestion to put EPA in charge of farm pollution as "silly and dangerous". BEAG has direct experience of the devastating effects of pollution caused by a minority of farmers, who are either careless or reckless when it comes to dealing with the issue of agricultural pollution. Our experience is of fish kills, contaminated water and the air smelling so foul that it is literally hard to breath.
It is our opinion that current attempts to control the menace of rural pollution are woefully inadequate. The Department of Agriculture has failed abysmally to tackle this issue, being too closely identified with the farming sector to be either objective or effective. Unfortunately, the IFA also shows a sad lack of leadership in this area - as exemplified by its resistance to control extensive pig and poultry units by the EPA.
BEAG believes that Deputy Eoin Ryan's suggestion of placing primary responsibility for the rural environment with the EPA (Irish Times. August 15th) is an eminently sensible one. It is worthy of very serious consideration. - Yours, etc.,
Secretary, Ballyglasson
Environmental Action Group
(BEAG),
Ballyglasson,
Edgeworthstown,
Co Longford.