The scene of the turbine crash. donegaldaily.com
THE Glenties Windfarm Information Group has welcomed an emergency debate at Donegal County Council next Monday after the collapse of a turbine near Maas last month.
In their first substantial statement on the incident at Loughderryduff, Ernan O’Donnell, the group’s chairman,
“The Group are extremely concerned at the fact that this wind farm which has two locals, Mr Conal Shovlin and Mr John Gillespie listed as directors, has been switched back on without any report into the incident being made public, or locals informed as to the cause of the turbine collapse,” said Mr O’Donnell.
“The Glenties Wind farm information Group are now calling on Councillors and Donegal County Council Executive to stand up and be counted when this emergency motion comes up for debate on Monday 15 April. The veil of secrecy that surrounds any information emanating from investigations into the event must be lifted.”
He then went on to list a number of questions which he said needed to be answered:
1.
Were the elected representatives, on behalf of the public, notified of the results of the investigation into the fallen turbine before the other turbines were re-started?
2.
Were the other turbines re-assessed fully before re-starting?
3.
Are the elected representatives satisfied with the results of the investigation and the manner and method of the investigation?
4.
Who carried out the investigation?
5.
What role, if any, had Donegal County Council in this investigation?
6.
Has all of the fallen turbine been recovered and accounted for?
7.
Will the results of the investigation be made public?
8.
Will the full Planning File be made available on-line?
9.
Pending full, comprehensive results of the investigation, will Donegal County Council order a stay on all turbines presently a) at Planning stage, b) in operation?
10.
Will they order the dismantling of all turbines situated within 2 km of a house or road?
11.
In case of an accident (e.g. If a turbine fell over the public road on a passing vehicle) who is responsible? The public need to know.
12.
Is it legal for North West Wind to operate a seven turbine wind farm when the permission granted was for nine turbines? Presumably the nine turbines were sited to maximise energy returns and public safety, and if this was so, how can seven be safely operating now?
13.
Will the site of the fallen turbine be restored to its natural state, and when?
14.
As Donegal County Council Planning Department approved this wind farm, did they monitor the materials used and the work carried out?
15.
Were individual assessments of each turbine site carried out and reported on? This needs to be done at all times in Donegal, due to the varied nature of each site within itself.
16.
Do the turbines on this site adhere to the approved Planning Application details?
17.
Were the turbines installed as per Planning Application 03/3043?
18.
Did Donegal County Council monitor the construction of the wind farm?
19.
Is Donegal County Council capable of monitoring a wind farm construction and installation?
20.
Is Donegal County Council capable of assessing a Planning Application for a wind farm?
Mr O’Donnell added: “The elected representatives of Donegal County Council, in June 2012, voted to remove all set back distances of wind turbines from lakes, streams, roads, houses etc. In light of the fallen turbine in Loughderryduff, will the Council now insist on a set back distance of at least 2 km? The blades from this turbine blew quite a distance, disintegrated and scattered over a large area of land. In the interests of public safety will the Council instate a 2 km set back distance?
I”n June 2012 the elected representatives of Donegal County Council voted to designate 2363 town lands as, ‘preferred for wind farming’. As we have seen with the Moville turbines, (the fact that the town lands involved were designated ‘preferred for wind farming’, in the County Development Plan 2012-2018, was quoted by An Bord Pleanala in their justification for granting permission), this designation is a carte blanche for developers to erect turbines.
“Quite a lot of the designated town lands are of hilly terrain, and close to houses. In light of the fallen turbine in Loughderryduff, and in the interests of public safety will Donegal County Council now de-designate these town lands? Will they do a detailed assessment of each town land before re-designation in the future?”