A dump that will take half of Connacht's waste is causing extreme tensions, writes Lorna Siggins
Threatening phone calls in the middle of the night, anonymous letters, a hoax device left on a doorstep - these are among a series of incidents which are alleged to have taken place recently in the east Galway region where two landfills are planned.
This week gardaí were called in to investigate a suspect device discovered by Mr Pauric Lohan, a young dairy farmer and chairman of the Kilconnell, Newbridge, Cappataggle Anti-dump Group, outside his home at Kilconnell.
Although an "elaborate hoax", the device was "very sinister", according to Supt Paul Hargadon of Ballinasloe.
Detectives were also called in when Mr Lohan's neighbour and fellow committee member in nearby Cappataggle, Mr Tom Finn, who works with Galway Farm Relief Services, received an anonymous letter the following day. "Did Lohan like his Christmas present? You will be next. Pro-dump." it read.
Though shaken by these events, both Mr Lohan and Mr Finn are not surprised. Their lives, and those of neighbours in the rural community, have not been the same since east Galway was identified as the location for two landfills. One of the landfills is public, and part of the Connacht Waste Management Plan.
A separate private landfill is proposed by Greenstar. Formerly known as Celtic Waste Ltd and a subsidiary of the National Toll Roads, Greenstar is the biggest company in the waste sector with a turnover of €80 million, and interests in Dublin, Kildare, Limerick,Waterford and Cork.
The debate over the public landfill has been contentious enough, given that the proposed dump, now earmarked for Cross/New Inn, will take at least half of Connacht's waste. It will replace the existing landfill at Poolboy, in Ballinasloe, which had exceeded its life-span.
Few in the area trust assurances that the new landfill will be closely monitored, as illegal dumping of harmful substances was discovered at a dump supposedly closed by Galway County Council in 1989 in the same area.
However, according to Mr Lohan and Mr Finn, the level of consultation undertaken for Galway County Council on identifying the public landfill location is more comprehensive than the approach taken by Greenstar before it received planning permission in October for a project designed to accept 100,000 tonnes of non-hazardous waste.
Greenstar said it carried out consultation in a comprehensive manner.
"At all stages of the planning process Greenstar has adhered to standard and best practice procedures in relation to Environmental Impact Assessment and public information. Galway County Council in granting planning permission for the facility did not raise any concerns on this aspect of the planning application," it said.
Greenstar said it made the Environmental Impact Study (EIS) and the summary accessible to the public and advertised it through the local media as well as providing an 1850 information line for residents.
"In the period December 2001 to December 2003 there were 28 requests from members of the general public for information and this was provided." The site for the dump was purchased from four farmers, and Greenstar also approached other landowners to take out "options" for small pieces of land which were required to facilitate traffic to and from the landfill. Large amounts of money were offered for the options to these small lots. One of the landowners approached was Mr Laurence Lohan, brother of Mr Pauric Lohan. Mr Laurence Lohan was offered €50,000 but declined to sell.
The company then asked to talk to Mr Pauric Lohan. The dairy farmer was concerned about meeting the company, as he had no land to sell.
At a meeting in Hayden's Hotel, Ballinasloe, on July 5th, 2002, which was also attended by Pauric's wife, Marcella, and Mr Finn, Mr Ray Cotter, who was acting on behalf of Greenstar, repeated the offer to Laurence (who wasn't present) and made a similar offer of €50,000 to Pauric.
Mr Lohan said he was told the €50,000 would be made out to him on the understanding that he would stand down as chairman of the anti-dump committee.
Mr Ray Cotter told The Irish Times that he had not at any stage asked Mr Pauric Lohan to stand down as chairman of the anti-landfill committee.
He said his brief from Greenstar was solely to procure land for road widening, as part of the planning application for the landfill.
One possibility was that if a section of the roadway on the left hand side was to be widened, Mr Lohan could have lost part of his front garden, Mr Cotter said. Some eight landowners were approached and a deal was done with two, he said. Mr Cotter said the sums offered were not large, given that the land was close to a critical junction. This in turn would have been important in presenting a "winning" planning application to Galway County Council
In a letter to Mr Pauric Lohan on July 29th, 2002, Mr Cotter wrote: "Further to our meeting in Ballinasloe on Thursday 25th July, I am now advising that if agreement can be reached on specified land pertaining to Laurence and Anne Lohan, the following financial terms are proposed: "1. Laurence and Anne Lohan will receive an option payment now of €15,000 and €35,000 if a purchase is concluded.
"2. Paraic and Marcella Lohan will receive an option payment now of €15,000 and €35,000 if a purchase is concluded."
Asked to fax a map to The Irish Times indicating the land it was seeking from Mr Pauric Lohan, Greenstar's spokeswoman was unable to facilitate this.
Asked about the request to Mr Lohan to stand down from the committee, a spokeswoman said: "It is Greenstar's policy, and is general industry practice, that when we acquire options on land, we do so with the understanding that the seller will not attempt to prevent the intended conclusion of the deal." Mr Finn said the landfill committee made the first of several reports to the gardaí about alleged intimidation in January 2002. Another report was made in August 2002.
The new superintendent at Ballinasloe, Supt Paul Hargadon said he initiated inquiries in July after the issue was raised in the Dáil by the Green Party leader, Mr Trevor Sargent. Mr Sargent said in the Dáil on July 1st that an offer of €50,000 had been made to an anti-dump group in east Galway to "withdraw its opposition".
"There are serious issues to be addressed in east Galway," Mr Sargent told the Dáil.
"An anti-dump group in Kilconnell is facing such intimidation by a private company seeking to locate a landfill there that it calls for ministerial intervention. If the Minister is going to to play ball with some of these large vested interests in terms of incineration and landfill, private operators that are clearly there for profit pure and simple, he must ensure that they are not engaging in behaviour which involved bribery or intimidation," Mr Sargent told the House.
The Kilconnell, Newbridge, Cappataggle Anti-dump Group has appealed the planning approval granted to Greenstar to An Bord Pleanála.
Meanwhile, both Mr Pauric Lohan and Mr Finn have been informed by letter that Greenstar is taking legal action against them over "defamatory" allegations.
Greenstar issued a statement to The Irish Times which said it was unfortunate that "certain individuals have moved beyond reasoned debate to making allegations against the company.
"These allegations, which are completely without foundation, relate to dealings that a representative of the company had with certain individuals.
"The fact is that Mr Cotter, an independent property consultant, was employed by Greenstar to acquire options on land for road widening purposes."
The statement added that although it was not the policy of the company to pursue proceedings against individuals, because of the "misrepresentation of the facts over the last 18 months, Greenstar has no other option but to seriously consider legal proceedings against the individuals in question. The company has never taken this course of action before".
Earlier this week, Greenstarissued a statement after the suspect device was found on Mr Lohan's doorstep and said it had been made aware of it in media reports and was "absolutely horrified that anybody might be targeted in this unlawful way".
"It goes without saying that it is a fundamental right of every citizen to register their objection to any development and Greenstar believes that any party - whether for or against a planning proposal - should work within the structures of the established planning system and within the confines of the law," the company said.