Nenagh, Thursday, 2 May 2002
Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Mr. Frank Fahey has welcomed the SRK report on the Silvermines area, the first time that an integrated maintenance and rehabilitation plan has been prepared for a former mining area in Ireland.
The Minister said, “I am pleased to note that the findings of this extensive study confirm that Silvermines is a safe place to live, to grow and to farm.”
The SRK proposals for the area are complex and involve much inter-related actions through the district to deal with waste and water problems. The overall thrust of the recommendations is to prevent dust blow, improve stream quality, remove or isolate hazardous wastes and make mine workings and shafts safe.
The works will be carried out in such a way as to minimise disturbance to the local community and to the environment. Historic structures will be conserved and made accessible, to facilitate the development of the tourist potential of the area.
The rehabilitation of the Gortmore TMF will be carried out by placing new soil cover over bare areas and re-seeding, by planting a dust control barrier of shrubs at the crest of the slopes and by planting a tree screen along the bottom of the slopes. It is anticipated that monitoring and maintenance of the tailings cover will continue in the long-term until a self-sustaining vegetative cover is achieved, and it is intended that grazing will not be allowed until it is judged to be sustainable.
A four year period is envisaged for the programme with ongoing monitoring and maintenance thereafter. The report identifies options for treating the various sites in the area and explains the consultants’ choice of a preferred option in each case. The views of the community and other interests are sought by the Minister to assist him in considering the recommendations.
Minister Fahey concluded, “I invite all concerned to examine the proposals critically so that an overall package can be identified that is for the longterm best interests of the Silvermines area and all who have an interest in it.”
ENDS.
Note for Information:
The report runs to over 775 pages, contains a photographic record of over a hundred colour plates and some fifty A3 size tables or coloured maps
A summary will be provided to each of the affected persons and bodies; a copy on the Department’s website will make it accessible to those who require the back up detail; and a number of presentations and workshops will be held.
A drop-in seminar will be held in the near future in the local school to allow local people to discuss the report in detail with the consultants and Department officials.
For further information, please contact:
Tony Bass
Media & Communications Manager
Department of the Marine and Natural Resources
Leeson Lane
Dublin 2
Tel: +353-(0)1-619-9471
Fax: +353-(0)1-676-6161
Or
Tom Mc Loughlin
Press Officer
Department of the Marine and Natural Resources
Leeson Lane
Dublin 2
Tel: +353-(0)1-619-9662
Fax: +353-(0)1-676-6161