Even our rivers aren't free... from pollution
At the end of May SF councillor Michael Ferguson and residents
from Lisburn, Poleglass, Milltown and the greater Twinbrook areas
along with the environmental group `Friends of the Earth'
launched a public campaign opposing the proposed toxic waste site
at Mullaghglass.
A geological survey has shown that the site at Mullaghglass
quarry, Mullaghglass Road is fractured and that the 100,000 tons
of incinerated ash, scheduled to be dumped there every year,
could leak into the water table infecting the water supply of the
whole Six Counties.
The toxic waste carries the risk of causing cancer, diabetes and
hormonal changes in human beings that affect fertility. The
project, which endangers water safety, is also in violation of
European Union laws.
NIGEN Environmental Ltd, the company involved, lodged their
application for the site in 1996 to which Ferguson lodged an
application for a public enquiry. It has been proven that the
containers the company is proposing to use for the waste are
defective and allow significant leakage.
Ferguson currently has a motion before Lisburn council, due to be
debated at the end of June, to gain funding for a campaign
against the proposed dumping of ash, which includes that from
infected beef, and the handling of imported toxic waste from
Britain. A decision by the council on whether or not to give
NIGEN the contract will not be made until October this year.
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