Sites of illegal peat extraction confirmed by county council
The list of sites in Westmeath where the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified evidence of illegal peat extraction was provided to Cllr Andrew Duncan at the July meeting of the Municipal District of Mullingar Kinnegad.
The sites are: (1) Newdown and Kerinstown; (2) Shrubbywood, Ballinealoe, Mayne and Coole; (3) Derrycrave, Clonsura, Carlanstown, Doon, Camagh and Monktown; (4) Ballymaglavy; (5) Baltrasna; (6) Blyry Lower and Tullycross; (7) Derrydooan Lower, Ballygarveybeg, Killinagh, Ballygarvey, Carrrigagh, Curristeen and Bardanstown and (8) Milltownpass Bog, Pass of Kilbride.
The EPA went public with its findings in June, criticising local authorities in a number of counties for not taking action against those involved in illegal extraction.
Cllr Duncan asked for the council view on why the EPA had come out to throw Westmeath County Council under a bus on the issue. He said it was the EPA who were responsible for enforcement.
However, he continued, he had “great concerns” over illegal peat extraction: “I saw the ancient bog trackway in Mayne being turned into wood chippings,” he said, stating that what was happening was destruction of a 3,000-year-old piece of Westmeath history.
“There were strong and articulate opinions at the time that that particular trackway could have linked right into the one in Longford, that it was an exceptionally long one [but] those operators just took it up with a machine, parts of it, and literally destroyed it,” he said.
By way of response, director of services Deirdre Reilly commented that Westmeath County Council is also of the view that the extraction issue is an EPA responsibility, and she expected that there would be further discussions on the topic.
“I don’t have any more information than that for you today,” she stated.
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