July 4th, 2019
A
Green Party politician has urged the State to protect Connemara
National Park by refusing to issue a licence for mineral exploration
in Co Galway to a Canadian company.
The
Department for Climate Action has said that it “intends” to grant
a licence to Ontario-based firm MOAG Copper Gold Resources to explore
for metal, gold and silver in several Townlands in Galway including
Boolagare, Callow and Dolan.
Galway
City
Councillor
Pauline O’Reilly warned, however,
that there are
possible health and environmental impacts
of
mining activities, adding that the laws around mining need to be
bolstered to safeguard the environment.
“Connemara
National Park is at risk due to a licence to prospect for gold, which
could have serious health implications as well as impacting on the
wildlife of the area,” Ms O’Reilly said.
“The
law around mining and drilling is a cause for concern. Chief among
the worries is the fact that as with drilling at sea, there is no
requirement by companies to lodge environmental impact assessment
prior to mining.”
Ms
O’Reilly stressed
that “lax” Irish regulations for mining have turned the country
into a haven for large mining companies, warning about the potential,
detrimental impact of such activities on people’s health.
“Given
this laxity, there is a huge risk in terms of the health of our
community and nature,” she said. “Galway is an area with
particularly high levels of radon which creates an increased risk of
radioactive contaminants being released into the atmosphere and local
water supplies.”
The
Green Party councillor also cautioned about cyanide contamination, a
potential risk factor in mining for gold. “Where
low levels of gold are discovered mining companies often treat the
area with cyanide to uncover trace amounts, with heavy rainfall, this
can very easily be released into groundwater,” Ms O’Reilly said.
She called on the public to send their objections to the licence to the Department of Climate Action by the deadline of 6 July. “People, farm animals, fish and wildlife, depend on clean freshwater, and this is our chance to retain some semblance of control,” Ms O’Reilly added.
A petition objecting to the granting of any licence “on the grounds of threats to the health and wellbeing of the natural environment” has gained over 1,500 signatures since its launch yesterday.
A
recent report presented to the Inter-American Commission on Human
Rights (IACHR) warned
that mining operations by Canadian firms across nine Latin American
countries
have left “serious environmental impact” by destroying glaciers,
polluting water and rivers and cutting down forests.
Canadian
mining activities has also led to the forced displacement of people
in Latin American countries and has endangered people’s health,
according to the report.
In
a Statement issued to The
Green News,
a spokesperson for the Department of Climate Action said that
Connemara Park fell under safeguarding regulations devised for
National Parks, under which no prospecting activity is allowed on
those areas.
“All
prospecting licences considered by the Department are subject to
extensive environmental screening and assessment,” the statement
read.
The
Department
said that three separate State consents are required in order to
start
mining
and the process provides for extensive public consultation to ensure
environmental compliance.
“An Integrated Pollution Control License is required from the Environmental Protection Agency, planning permission is required from the Local Authority (including full environmental impact assessment), and a Mining License is required from the Minister for Climate Action,” the statement continued.
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