Over 400 submissions received in response to Dawn Meats Boyne pipe plan

Over 400 submissions were received by Meath County Council in relation to a controversial planning application that would see the construction of an industrial pipeline discharging waste water from a meat plant into the River Boyne.

414 submissions were received during the public consultation of application 42 of which were deemed invalid in accordance with the regulations according to a spokesperson for Meath County Council.

Local politicians, business owners, angling groups and Slane Castle owner Lord Henry Mountcharles accounted for some of the objections lodged.

The closing date for submissions was on April 8th with a decision due on April 29th.

Concerns had been raised that water quality for more than 25,000 home and businesses could be at risk if a proposed pipeline that would discharge treated wastewater from Dawn Meats in Beauparc into the River Boyne gets the go ahead.

More than 25,000 homes in East Meath and South Louth get their drinking water supply from the Boyne.

Local residents came out in force recently to protest against the move raising a number of health and environmental concerns over the plans.

A Facebook page set up to highlight the issue called ‘Save the Boyne’ currently has 7,200 followers with many angry locals voicing their outrage at the proposal.

Residents are concerned that if there is an accidental outage at the meat plant this could lead to a serious environmental incident in the River Boyne.

“The previous owners of this meat plant were fined €5,000 in 2017 for a serious pollution incident, the Environmental Protection Agency described the event as “unauthorised emission of untreated slaughter process effluent was discharged to a surface water drain from the installation,” commented Hayestown man Padraic Gilligan who had submitted an objection to the plans.

In a statement to the Meath Chronicle Irish Water commented that:

“The authorisation and regulation of discharges directly to water courses is outside of Irish Water’s remit.

“Irish Water is responsible for the provision of safe, clean drinking water that complies with drinking water regulations and safeguarding Ireland’s water supplies is our priority.

“Irish Water carries out regular testing and monitoring of all public water supplies in Ireland in accordance with EU legislation. Customers can search the water quality in their area by visiting the Irish Water website at www.water.ie/water-supply/water-quality/.”

Meanwhile the chairperson of Navan River Rescue says he is worried about the safety of his members should the Dawn Meats planning application to install a pipeline into the Boyne get the go ahead.

Christopher Rennicks lodged a submission objecting to the plans and points out that volunteers already sacrifice enough risking their lives entering the river to save others without the added fear of health concerns with pollution.

“I am very concerned for the river rescue members going into the water when this pipe goes in.

“It’s going to be below the water so who is going to tell us what is going in? How do you expect any river rescue members to go into the river not knowing what they are going into?

“There is already concern among people going into the river with sewage that goes into it from the town in Navan, what is this going to add to it when it goes on down to the lovely village of Slane and down by Slane Castle, I think it’s going to destroy the river, it’s a disgrace.”