September 11, 2018
Ireland

Drehid locals declare war on Kildare turbine plans

By Leinster Leader reporter | 10 Sept 2018 | www.leinsterleader.ie

“Maybe I should call you all troops or soldiers as this is a war, as you know,” said Seamus Langan, Chairperson of Drehid Against Wind Turbines as he addressed last Wednesday’s (September 5) meeting at the Castle Inn in Carbury.

“Element Power are going to be defeated, they can’t win over our clubs and they can’t win over us”.

He was referring to the company’s plans to build a wind farm in the locality.

This was the third meeting held by Drehid Against Wind Turbines.

“The crowd in attendance remain steadfast in their determination to stop these industrial turbines being erected in their area,” said a spokesperson for the group.

There were three TD’s and three councillors in attendance.

Members of Kildare Environmental Awareness Group (KEAG) were also present and pledged their continued support to the new group.

Cllr Weld said Element Power had a pre-planning meeting with Kildare County Council last week.

He said they will lodge their application and the application will go to Kildare County Council, not An Bord Pleanala.

Bernard Durkan (TD) said this is the same as any other application – those proposing will stress the positives and it is up to the locals to advise on the negatives. He said people would have no control over the response of the council.

Dep Durkan stated that new draft wind energy guidelines were coming out in the autumn which would be open for public consultation.

Dep Durkan was then asked why a new consultation was required when 7,500 submissions were lodged in 2014 on the wind energy guidelines consultation.

Dep Fiona O’Loughlin said, “From researching wind turbines, I am absolutely against them”.

She went on to say; “An Bord Pleanala twice refused this area, this is the wrong place for turbines, it will have an adverse effect on our area”.

She added “ this has to be very bad for the environment”.

“Without a shadow of a doubt I am against this wind farm – I certainly will not be supporting it,” she concluded.

Dep James Lawless described this application as “Element Powers third bite of the cherry”.

He said they haven’t been successful before and nothing has changed – the facts alone are still the same.

When asked “if you were in power will you be against wind turbines”, he replied “I would not be in this community – but off shore.

An issue was raised in relation to noise/sound measurement from industrial turbines. Dep Lawless was informed that report by Dr Mariana Alves-Pereira, who is a specialist in the biological responses to infrasound and low frequency noise states that noise measurements should be obligatory in dB Linear not dBA. dB Linear gives the measurements of infrasound and low frequency noise which is not covered by dBA.

Dep Lawless said he would put this to Minister Naughton.

Cllr Padraig McEvoy said there will be an environmental consultation next week with issues implemented next year.

“Brendan Wyse showed a Computer Simulated Presentation of the proposed industrial wind farm, which demonstrated the effects of these industrial wind turbines will have on our lives, wild life and landscape,” said the group’s spokesperson.

“It was stated that a wind turbine that caught fire in Cork threw it’s flaming blade as far as 100 metres and landed close to nearby gorse and forestry. These incidents with wind turbines are a serious cause of concern to the community.

“A meteorologist who attended the meeting, believes from his studies of the weather patterns including the reverse of the jet stream that wind power just doesn’t work on shore in this country due to lack of consistant wind.”

The spokesperson said the mood of the meeting was a steely determination to “put a stop to this proposed wind farm and to restore peace in the community.”

The meeting concluded with Chairperson Seamus Langan thanking everyone for coming.

He said “ Keep up the pressure and for everyone to purchase a uniform and a helmet as we are going to war.”


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2018/09/11/drehid-locals-declare-war-on-kildare-turbine-plans/