Growing opposition to Eirgrid pylons in many districts

OPPOSITION to Eirgrid's plans to build a 58-kilometre power line across Meath is set to intensify over the coming weeks, with campaign groups being set up in many of the villages and localities along the three proposed routes.

The intention is that all of these opposition groups will come together under the banner of the Meath Pylon Action Group, and seek to prevent the erection of the power lines close to populated areas in the county.

Already, a group has been formed in the Bective/Kiltale area, and a meeting was due to be held in Dunderry this week.

Eirgrid is planning the construction of a 58 kilometre power line of a voltage of 400kV, between Woodland, Drumree, and Kingscourt. Three route options have been revealed for the erection of the massive pylons and power lines across the county.

These will begin at the existing electricity sub station at Woodland, close to Batterstown.

Route option one crosses areas of Summerhill, Rathmolyon, Laracor, Kildalkey, Rath Cairn, Athboy, Rathmore, Kilskyre, Carnaross, Moynalty and to approximately one kilometre east of Mullagh.

Route option two runs across Drumree, Kiltale, Kilmessan, Bective, Robinstown, Dunderry, Fordstown, Cortown, and then parallel to route option one from Kilskyre to Mullagh.

The third option also crosses lands from Drumree to Dunderry, before crossing Bohermeen, the N3/M3, Gainstown, Carlanstown, Nobber, and on towards Kingscourt. This option splits into two options, 3A and 3B, about six kilometres north of the N3, before rejoining west of Whitewood Lough.

At a meeting in Jack Quinn's Pub at Scurlogstown, Trim, last week, an opposition group was formed in the Bective and Kiltale areas.

Marie Carty, a spokesperson for the group, said that people were angry that they haven't been given much time to examine the implications of the proposal. "The number one concern of everybody is their health," Ms Carty said. "People don't realise that this power line could be going right through their front or back gardens."

While it is hard to prove that there is a direct link between power lines and certain illnesses, studies show that there are high risks in areas huge power lines are going through, Ms Carty believes.

This also will lead to a devaluation in property, she added, and people just don't know how much it will devalue by. If you live close to a pylon and wish to sell, there will not be significant interest in the property, she said.

There were people at the Scurlogstown meeting who have just started to bring up young babies and families in the area planned for the power line, and they would not stay if this plan is approved, she added. But they might not be able to sell if they can't afford the drop in price.

"A lot of small villages and farmers are going to be affected, and the information meetings being held by Eirgrid are simply not adequate," Ms Carty said. If the only excuse of not putting the power lines underground is the expense, then it's not good enough, she adds.

"What price can you put on the health of a society?" she asks. "If the pylons do cause ill-health, then the health services come under pressure too." She said it is not just the physical structures people are concerned about, but the health implications.

A British government advisory group has said that the best option for reducing childhood leukaemia was to ban the building of new homes and schools within 60 metres of power lines. It warned that houses should not be built under electricity pylons because the risk of brain tumours, cancer, miscarriages and motor neurone disease "cannot be ruled out".

Eirgrid was quoted at the weekend as saying its design aim was not to go closer than 50 metres of existing structures.

Another UK study published in 2004 found that children living within 200 metres of a power line were 69 per cent more likely to develop leukaemia than those living between 200 and 600 metres away, who had a 23 per cent risk.

Meetings are expected to be held in communities across Meath in the coming weeks as strong opposition to the Eirgrid proposals grow.