SCUBA-DIVERS ARE objecting to Dublin Port’s plans to dump 10 million tonnes of dredging waste off Howth Head.
The process is being carried out as part of the port’s massive revamp plan.
An Bord Pleanála gave the green light to the €230 million redevelopment plan – aimed at increasing the flow of cargo and cruise ships into the city – back in July.
The ambitious project, which would take five years to complete, would require 3km of quay walls to be rebuilt.
Existing pier space would also be demolished, and the dredging would take place to allow an extra 2.2 metres of depth in the approach to the Liffey.
The Dublin Port Company has applied for a Dumping at Sea application with the Environmental Protection Agency.
Newspaper ads to notify the public were placed over the August Bank Holiday weekend…
However, there has been criticism that not enough is being done to notify north Dublin Bay residents – and local Fine Gael candidate Stephanie Regan has been distributing thousands of leaflets in the area to flag the move.
The Irish Underwater Council – which represents divers – is warning it could reduce underwater visibility in the area and cause environmental damage.
The group is also taking issue with the application process – saying newspaper ads are insufficient notice.
“From the date of placing the notice in the newspaper there is a month period for the receipt of submissions from third parties regarding the permit application,” Tim Butter of the IUC told the EPA.
I suggest that the use of newspaper notices is a somewhat archaic practice and is inadequate as a method of reliably disseminating information to all interested parties.
The group has put together a working group to make a more detailed submission to the EPA.
What’s the plan?
The dredging would take place in stages – meaning the 10 million tonnes would be dumped at sites in Dublin Bay over a five year period.
The port company already carries out regular maintenance dredges of the approach to the Liffey, removing smaller amounts of waste.
The plan to overhaul Dublin Port would mean massive cruise ships like the 360 metre Allure of the Seas (below) would be able to sail up as far as the East Link, beside the 3Arena, once the project is completed.
The port project is expected to take five years to complete, and Dublin Port CEO Eamonn O’Reilly has said they hope to be in a position to begin construction later this year.
A planning hearing last October heard that environmental impact studies had been submitted by the port company, alongside the planning application.
Following the permission from An Bord Pleanála last month, sign-offs from the Department of the Environment and the EPA are still needed.
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