Residents to seek advice on Moneypoint ash cloud

RESIDENTS who live near the ESB Moneypoint power station in Killimer had their houses, property and cars covered in ash last Sunday week, when strong winds carried ash from the power station’s ash pit as far as Killimer church.

Although contact was made with the power station, nobody from the plant has since consulted with residents. Such is the frustration of some local people, they are about to seek legal advice on the matter.
“We’re going to get legal advice on it this stage simply to see who can make them play the game properly, show some respect for the environment and the people living around them,” local resident Eve Browne told The Clare Champion.
She said that the latest ash shower continued for a long period of time.
“From the westerly direction, it was blowing over towards the church in Killimer. It was going on for a good two hours or more. They sent up a tractor, to spray the ash, after a couple of neighbours and ourselves rang the station. But this is a huge ash landfill site. To do that is the equivalent of going up with a watering can,” she maintained.
Although this was the first major incident involving ash deposits in the area this year, a number of similar events occurred in 2009.
“Last year, the ash manager at the time was saying that they were looking into a sprinkler system and building a big frame that would not allow any ash to blow. They were looking at one that was operating in Scotland. But we’ve no feedback from them on the latest incident. We reported it last Sunday to John Wall, who is the environmental officer at Moneypoint. They did file a report with the EPA because they have to under their licensing agreement. But they didn’t come up to look at anybody’s properties. You could write your name on the windows or on the bulk tanks,” Ms Browne explained.
She also said that dark clouds of smoke often emanate from the power station.
“There are very alarming clouds of really, really black smoke coming off the chimney stacks as well on a few occasions. I know there are conditions in their licensing agreement around the colour that smoke should be. On the ash issue, we’re finding it very hard to get any answers. We have had no contact about what they’re going to do to rectify the situation from anyone. They’re not interested in being proactive or community-spirited and letting the neighbours know what’s going on,” Ms Browne claimed.