The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted approval for alumina refinery Rusal to proceed with a major extension of its dredging operations in the Shannon Estuary.
Image source: limericklive
The decision allows the Russian-owned company to carry out maintenance dredging near its marine jetty at Aughinish Island, County Limerick, and to dispose of over 450,000 tonnes of dredged material annually at a newly designated offshore site near Foynes Island.
The EPA’s decision marks the final regulatory clearance needed for the project, following planning permission granted earlier this year by an Bord Pleanála (now An Coimisiún Pleanála) for the physical infrastructure involved.
According to Rusal, the expanded dredging operations are essential to the long-term viability of the refinery, which now expects to continue operations until at least 2039. The move is also being positioned as a safeguard for hundreds of jobs in the region, particularly significant following the closure of Nestlé’s facility in Askeaton.
Despite the economic justification, the EPA’s approval has provoked strong objections from environmental groups and concerned residents.
Futureproof Clare, a leading campaign group opposing the plan, has warned of the potential environmental damage posed by the dumping of dredged sediment, which it says could be contaminated.
The group claims the volume of material to be dumped annually is equivalent to 5,000 double-decker buses, raising alarm over the cumulative impact on marine ecosystems.
The EPA confirmed the permit was issued with environmental safeguards, but the controversy underscores the tension between industrial development and ecological preservation in one of Ireland’s most important natural habitats.
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