Group welcomes ‘win’ against Aughinish refinery expanison

 Picture Dan Linehan

A “win for an awful lot of people”.

That is how campaigners have described An Bord Pleanála's concession of a High Court challenge to its granting of planning permission for the expansion of Aughinish Alumina's bauxite waste dump on the Shannon.

FutureProof Clare spokeswoman Sinead Sheehan said the group was “surprised” but also “absolutely delighted” by the High Court outcome.

“It is a huge win for any grassroots organisation faced with major environmental concerns in terms of polluting industries,” said Ms Sheehan.

“When you’re a small group like us and you can take on a — quite frankly — large rich corporation and win, well that’s a win for an awful lot of people.”

The permission given by An Bord Pleanála last August would have allowed for the deposit of an additional 8m cubic metres of bauxite residue and 22,500 cu m of ‘salt cake’ at the 222-hectare site on Aughinish Island.

FutureProof Clare did concede that Aughinish will likely relodge an amended application seeking once more to expand the waste dump, however.