Environment – Page 26 – Slugger O'Toole

“Northern Ireland Water will still be established, as planned, on 1 April”

Pete Baker on April 2, 2007, 1:54 am

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Eamonn McCann, writing in the Sunday Business Post, deals swiftly with the previously identified shadow-boxing and points instead to the deep fractures the election result actually revealed. He sees more internal difficulties for the DUP than for SF in the weeks ahead but he also wants to know whether the parties intend to re-engage with the shadow-boxing, given that the contracts are signed, and that the GoCo is.. apparently.. go.. [added new link]From the SBP comment piece Firstly the shadow-boxing …

“This needs to be resolved without further delay.”

Pete Baker on March 23, 2007, 3:23 am

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It’s not yet arrived at the dire, and potentially expensive, situation that the Northern Ireland water and sewage system is in, but the European Commission has given the Republic of Ireland government final written warnings “for failing to fully comply with a 2002 European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling requiring drinking water supply to be clear of [a] potentially deadly bacteria” and “for failing to comply with a 2005 ECJ ruling requiring greater controls on pollution of surface water by …

It’s what you have an EPA for…

Mick Fealty on March 14, 2007, 1:38 pm

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RTE reported yesterday that 18% of the Republic’s urban waste water is only receiving preliminary treatment. Not a patch on our loathsome, and effectively unregulated, discharge of raw sewage into the Irish Sea. The Environmental Protection Agency itself reports: – At 30 locations, mainly towns or cities discharging to estuaries or coastal waters, the required secondary wastewater treatment plants were not in place. At these locations wastewater was being discharged with either no treatment or basic treatment in non-compliance with …

Assembly could block water charges.. but bill will remain to be paid.

Pete Baker on February 28, 2007, 5:54 pm

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As Mick noted previously Water Tax is one of the main issues of this election and with all parties in opposition, to one degree or another, the reported intervention today by the Department of Regional Development is worth noting. [aren’t they supposed to be in purdah? – Ed] A spokeswoman for the Department said: “Should a restored Assembly wish to either amend or repeal the provisions of the Order (water charges law) they could do so, as they could any …

Treating the environment like sh*te…

Mick Fealty on February 7, 2007, 7:30 pm

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It’s hardly surprising that the front page of the FT this morning that the European Commission wants to make breaches of its environmental directives criminal. In Northern Ireland, the environment comes a poor second to house price hikes and restrictive planning issues with all of its parties (bar the Greens of course). Ferghal McKinney, with some interesting clips from Bangor and Donaghadee, showing the brown outflow of raw sewerage sewage into the Irish Sea just on the Donaghadee side of …

Columcille on the Foyle..

Pete Baker on February 3, 2007, 12:00 am

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According to the statement on the Derry City Council website, “The Inner City Trust River Foyle Project is an attempt to create a haven of peace on the centre of the river which divides the city, where both Catholics and Protestants together can meet and appreciate historic shared Christian heritage.” Hmm.. I’m not entirely convinced we need another reminder of that particular historic heritage on this island.. ANYway.. the centre piece of the regeneration project is to be a 160ft …

Ahem, Sir Nick, those figures you gave us…

Mick Fealty on January 26, 2007, 9:17 pm

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I’m indebted to Benny Peiser at Liverpool John Moore’s University for these verbatims from the BBC’s The Investigation on Radio Four last night. It makes for a useful corrective in the wake of the media splash for the 800+ word Stern Report some months back, detailing the cost of global warming into the foreseeable future. It was something anticipated by fellow blogger, Cato at Liberty. The [Stern Review] may have been loved by the politicians and headline writers but when …

“one of the glories of Modernism”

Pete Baker on December 11, 2006, 9:08 pm

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When the £12million redevelopment of the Ulster Museum was announced, back in July 2005, the focus was mostly on the interior but, as noted by the Irish Times Environment Editor[subs req] Frank McDonald, the accompanying facelift to the listed building, and in particular the extension designed by London-based architect Francis Pym in 1963 – who resigned before it was completed to become an Anglican priest – is being opposed by the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society and they have registered their …

air quality is good for the vast majority of the time…

Pete Baker on December 2, 2006, 1:14 am

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Given that government ministers have argued that water charges are needed, at least in part, to pay for improvements in water quality, how worried should we be that the DOE’s report on Air Quality Monitoring in Northern Ireland 2005[pdf file] concluded, “Air quality is continuing to improve generally in Northern Ireland; however, monitoring has identified some areas across the province that will require action.”? Hmmm.. [Don’t be giving them any ideas! – Ed] There’s a website too..NIO, and Scotland Office, …

Second best bar in the world

Pete Baker on November 29, 2006, 5:31 pm

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It’s an entirely subjective list, but no less valid for that [Hmmm.. – Ed]. The Guardian’s deputy travel editor, Isabel Choat, lists her favourite bars in the world and vying for the top slot is the other National Trust owned bar in Northern Ireland, Mary McBride’s in Cushendun [pictured in sunnier times – Ed].. Strangely the National Trust website doesn’t seem to list McBride’s..From the Guardian article 2. Mary McBride’s, 2 Main Street, Cushenden, Northern Ireland The Antrim coast is …

The Glens of Antrim are definitely worth a visit, but..

Pete Baker on November 16, 2006, 9:47 pm

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The Observer’s Belfast-born Ireland editor Henry McDonald, moonlighting on the Guardian’s Travelog, points out some highights for prospective visitors to Northern Ireland following the Lonely Planet’s free advertisement praise, and other recent mentions. He also points out some places to avoid…From the Guardian’s Travelog Outside Belfast, though, options for tourists are limited. The Glens of Antrim are definitely worth a visit, particularly the Glenariffe waterfall and Cushdendun. The latter is a quaint little seaside village with a view of Scotland …

Ahern to rid Dublin of that troublesome bridge?

Mick Fealty on November 15, 2006, 3:14 pm

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On the front page of the (all new, all signing and dancing) Irish Times site is the story of what exactly Bertie plans to do with all those scrimped up tax Euros. No tax cuts (maybe), but he is going to buy back that hideous bridge on Dublin’s West Link for the state. If you are unfamiliar with the problem, check out Shane Ross’s motion in the Seanad. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on …

Better than Bora Bora!

Pete Baker on November 13, 2006, 6:51 pm

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The Antrim Coast Road that is, according to a survey by Jacob’s Creek [usual scepticism should be applied – Ed]. The BBC report says that 5000 people voted the Antrim Coast Road the 5th best view, out of 50 views, from around the world. Although there is also mention of the British Guild of Travel Writers in the accompanying text to this competition.. ANYhoo.. It is a great view. The full range of 50 views is here The BBC helpfully …

Battle site visitors’ centre gets planning permission

Pete Baker on September 13, 2006, 1:21 am

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The BBC report that Meath County Council have granted planning permission for the Irish Government’s Office of Public Works’s application to build a visitors’ facility and associated works at the site of the Battle of the Boyne, previously announced in May 2005, although I’ve had trouble tracking down the actual plans. According to the May 2005 press release from the Department of Foreign Affairs, the scheme is to cost an estimated €15 million over three years and, as noted in …

A river runs through it…

Pete Baker on September 5, 2006, 7:21 pm

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Well not quite a river as such.. As the BBC reports, Water Service Chief Executive, Katharine Bryan [and not an NIO minister? – Ed] has announced the awarding of a contract to build a new sewer for Belfast.. to Morgan Est and Belfast-based contractor Farrans (Construction) Ltd (also involved in the new Westlink construction), and worth either £100million or £91.8 million.. depending on which press release you read.. The Water Service website should have details, check the 21st Century Infrastructure …

James Hoban – an architect to remember

Pete Baker on September 5, 2006, 12:10 am

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A fascinating diary article in today’s Irish Times by Brian O’Connell[subs req] on the life and legacy of James Hoban – and the marking, later this month, of the 175th anniversary of his death in 1831, part of a series of commemorations planned by the Consortium of James Hoban Societies over the next two years. Hoban was born c 1758 in Desart Kilkenny, on the estate of the Cuffe family.. although Wikipedia disagrees on the date, as does this short …

SEM to go live.. late

Pete Baker on August 9, 2006, 12:46 am

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In a characteristically upbeat statement, Secretary of State for Wales and Northern Ireland Peter Hain, and Irish Minister for Communications Marine and Natural Resources, Noel Dempsey, have announced a delay in setting up the Single Energy Market[SEM] – Press Association report here. 1st November 2007 rather than 1st July 2007 is now the “go-live” date. That will be more than half way through the 2-year attempt to create a market for renewable energy in NI, assuming Wales doesn’t overtake us …

“It’s just beyond the beyonds of possibilities that this has been found”

Pete Baker on July 26, 2006, 2:25 am

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A fascinating, but far too short, report on RTÉ news of the discovery by the National Museum of Ireland, through the intervention of a bulldozer, of extensive fragments of a manuscript of what appears to be an ancient Psalter, believed to have lain buried in a peat bog for as much as 1200 years – only two images are noted as having been released in the report[RealPlayer video]. While there’s little further detail on the Museum website, or anywhere else, …

Happy Birthday, where’s me gong?

Miss Fitz on June 17, 2006, 3:42 pm

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The Queen’s birthday list is available, if you want to trawl through and see who was honoured for what. I have no idea why this interests me, but I look at the list every year with great anticipation. I suspect it has a kind of Eurovision appeal for me, not very relevant to my life, but a bit of a spectacle all the same. No-one really jumps out, but I see the quest for better distribution continues with a home …

European Commission threat over tardy DoE

Mick Fealty on June 1, 2006, 1:43 pm

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The wheels of the European Commission grind slowly, but I guess they get there in the end. Two years ago Friends of the Earth lodged a number of cases in Northern Ireland in which the Department of the Environment was apparently unwilling to enforce the European Waste Framework Directive, even where breaches had been clearly identified by local authorities. Some progress has been made. The Environment & Heritage Service (EHS) has a crime team to enforce legislation and to co-ordinate …