Bord Gáis shows ESB where to put cables

IN his column (Examiner County, April 20), Peter Levy wrote about the restriction that the ESB’s cross river pylons were having on the Tall Ships entering Cork’s upper harbour and how this was impacting on the possibility of the Tall Ships race returning to Cork.

We all remember the positive economic impact on the region when the race last visited here in 1991.

The ESB has shown a reluctance to relocate these power lines in the past. Indeed, relatively recent erections of further pylons across Great Island clearly show the company is refusing to use new technologies that facilitate burying these cables under the harbour.

Bord Gáis, which recently entered the electricity market, has availed of this new technology.

This company is about to open its new generating facility at Glanagow, which is close to the ESB’s generating station in Aghada. Bord Gáis, however, is running its cables almost entirely under water and will link up with the national grid at Raffeen, as will the ESB.

Residents on Great Island objected to the latest plans of the ESB regarding the construction of more pylons. However, the planning authority ignored these objections and granted permission with a number of “minor” conditions.

This decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanála without success. The planning appeals authority, in upholding the decision of Cork County Council, indicated its decision was influenced by recent infrastructure that the ESB had put in place on the island and by an agreement that the company had reached with the Cobh anti-pylon group a number of years ago.

The planning permission was granted without consideration for the more substantive issue of the health threat this development will pose for the community. Recent research, particularly by Prof Henshaw at Bristol University, has indicated an association between electromagnetic radiation and proximity to overhead power lines on health, particularly that of young children. As Peter Levy rightly pointed out, the ESB in the past has submerged these cables to offshore islands. Why could it not do the same here?

Clearly, putting the cables under water would have been in the best interests of all stakeholders, but unfortunately it appears this is not to be.

Frank Morrissey

Tay Road

Cobh

Co Cork