A Cross-Border heritage and environment forum, The Battle for the Boyne, has called on the Minister for Arts and Heritage, Ms de Valera, to oppose the construction of a large municipal waste incinerator in the Boyne valley.
The forum, which was set up last December to protect the valley against intrusive industrial development, wants Dúchas, the Heritage Service, to object to a waste licence for the incinerator, which a Belgian multinational, Indaver, is planning for a site near Duleek, Co Meath.
"Dúchas has a special responsibility to the people of this island and the world community to do everything possible to protect for current and future generations the exceptional richness of the heritage of the Boyne valley," said Mr Brian Hanratty, a director of the forum.
Expressing disappointment that Dúchas had not yet objected to "this wholly inappropriate project", he said it could still play its part by making a formal objection to Indaver's application to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a waste licence for the incinerator.
"It is even more disappointing to note that Dúchas did not join more than 20 appellants who are appealing Meath County Council's decision to grant planning permission for this incinerator project to An Bord Pleanála", Mr Hanratty said in a letter to the Minister.
He told Ms de Valera that allowing "heavy and polluting industries to encroach into the area" was inconsistent with the mandate to protect the environs of Brú na Bóinne, a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site, and the setting of the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.
"One of the submissions lodged with An Bord Pleanála suggests that the plume from such an incinerator could impede or eliminate the age-old phenomenon which sees the sun shine into the chamber at Newgrange each year on the winter solstice", he said.
The proposed incinerator would provide "a totally inappropriate backdrop for the site of the Battle of the Boyne and any initiatives planned in the locality to provide both greater access to the site, which is quite extensive, and/or understanding of the battle itself", he said.
Calling on Ms de Valera to direct Dúchas to take action, he said it was "impossible to conceive that, for example, the Egyptians or the world community for that matter would allow similar developments to proceed in such close proximity to the pyramids". Mr Hanratty, who sent a copy of his letter to the Northern Ireland Arts and Heritage Minister, Mr Michael McGimpsey, also noted that next Friday is the deadline for submissions from interested parties to Dúchas on its draft management plan for Brú na Bóinne.
