An Bord Pleanla, the environmental group, Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) and local residents are to appeal a Clare County Council decision to grant planning permission for a £5 million explosives factory on the shores of Shannon estuary.
Shannon Explosives Ltd will use the factory, at Cahercon, Kildysart, for the manufacture, storage, distribution and export of explosive materials.
The decision was criticised yesterday by the chairman of the Kildysart Explosives Factory Opposition Group, Mr Terence Corry. He added, however:ala, but added: "We are very confident that An Bord Pleanala will uphold the appeal we will make."
Mr Corry said the factory would undermine the tourist potential of the area, negatively affect the image of Kildysart and create unnecessary risk of explosives-related accidents in the area. An FIE spokesman said the group intended to appeal the decision because it was not made in accordance with the Seveso Directive.
He said: "Under the Seveso Directive, the public has the right to know exactly and in simple terms the common names for what is being produced, the principal dangerous characteristics, the storage facilities, the management systems and the potential effect on the population of a major accident at the factory or in transport."
However, the managing director of Shannon Explosives Ltd, Mr Bob Morhard, yesterday welcomed the decision, saying that the decision supported the company's design of a world-class, modern and safe industrial explosives facility.
"The Shannon Explosives facility will meet a strong demand for modern explosives within Ireland to support the National Development Plan wherein 5.97 billion euros will be invested in roads in the next seven years," he said.
