By Louise Doyle
DONEGAL County Council has dismissed suggestions it did not fulfil its obligations into a transboundary consultation over controversial plans for a large underground goldmine in Tyrone.
A long-awaited public inquiry into the plans came to a pause in January when a submission by Donegal-based environmental consultancy group, Defending Environmental Wealth (DEW) brought to the fore that local residents had been denied their legal right to have a say.
Inquiry chairperson Jacqueline McParland returned the submission in its envelope to Gerard Moyne, of DEW, at the public inquiry in Omagh, advising him that a submission could not be made in that way. But, in the end that proved not to matter as the groundbreaking submission highlighted “transboundary issues” not considered, which cited the potential impact the goldmine could have on cross-border waterways including the River Finn, which runs along the borders of counties Tyrone and Donegal and the River Foyle and Foyle Basin in Derry.
Dalradian, an American-owned company, has applied for planning permission to build a large underground mine in the heart of the Sperrin Mountains, around 19 kilometres from the town of Omagh.
It is a protected designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The company has said the mine would be operational 365 days a year for up to 25 years.
It has applied to extract 3.5 million ounces of gold, 850,000 ounces of silver, 15,000 tonnes of copper, and large quantities of other precious minerals.
The deadline for submissions to the transboundary consultation closed at 5pm on Wednesday. The Donegal News understands that just one councillor in Donegal has made a submission to the Department for Infrastructure on the issue.
Speaking to the Donegal News this week prior to the consultation deadline, Mr Moyne said he was advised by a local councillor that the matter has not featured on the council’s agenda.
“There was a breach of the legislation by the Minister in Northern Ireland in the fact that they failed to comply with the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (Espoo Convention) and give notice to the minister in the Republic of Ireland.
“Subsequently, the council had to have a public consultation. The council, in my understanding, took that to mean that if people wanted to make a submission they could, and if they needed any information that their role was as consultees and that they had no function,” said Mr Moyne.
“According to the Espoo Convention that is an entirely wrong reading of the legislation. They (Donegal County Council) have a legal responsibility to ensure that no one breaches environmental legislation.”
In a statement issued on Wednesday in response to the claims, a spokesperson for Donegal County Council said it had fulfilled its obligations.
“Donegal County Council has fulfilled its obligations relating to the public notification process that closes at the close of business today.
The full detail of the public consultation process initiated by the Department of Infrastructure (NI) is available at https://consult.donegal. ie/en/consultation/transboundary-public-consultation-dalradian-gold -mine-project-co-tyrone .
“As Donegal County Council are consultees to the transboundary environmental consultation being undertaken by the NI authority and all formal submissions, as required in the public notice, are to be sent to planning@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk.
“Further information may be available via the project website at https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/topics/dalradian-curraghinalt-project or via the Department of Infrastructure (NI).”
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