Energy company rejects health claims
Dublin People 19 Nov 2011
AN ENERGY supply company has strongly rejected claims
by a north county Dublin community group that high power cables it is routing
through the centre of its village could potentially have health implications
for locals.
Rush Community Council believe that EirGrid breached a
condition of the planning permission it received to install underground high
power cables in the area.
The community council accused EirGrid of failing to
mention certain magnetic fields during the planning process. It claims these
magnetic fields could potentially have harmful health implications for locals.
Fingal County Council is investigating the validity of
the complaint.
Construction of the interconnector commenced in 2010
and the land cable installation is almost completed along the 46-kilometre
route.
There has been strong opposition to the scheme as it
involves running high powered cables in plastic ducting through Rush village
within metres of homes, businesses and schools.
The cable will be contained within a heavy duty
plastic duct which is surrounded by different layers of protection, which
include, lean mix concrete, protective tiles, and plastic warning tapes.
EirGrid says the cables will transport enough energy
to power 300,000 homes when the project is completed.
Rush Community Council has formally contacted Fingal
County Council claiming that EirGrid breached four of the conditions that were
attached to the planning permission it received for the scheme.
A spokeswoman for the community council claimed that
EirGrid failed to make any mention of time varying magnetic fields in its
planning application to An Bord Pleanala.
She said some scientists believe that time varying
magnetic fields could have adverse health effects for humans.
“EirGrid put forward [as part of its planning
application] estimates for the static magnetic field of the East-West
Interconnector.
“But they did not forward any estimates for
time-varying magnetic fields, so the risk they posed was not assessed by the
planning process.
“The community council is calling on Fingal County
Council to rectify these breaches of the planning conditions.
?
The spokeswoman claimed that if EirGrid had mentioned
time varying magnetic fields during the planning process, An Bord Pleanala may
have invoked what is known as the
“precautionary principle
? which is sometimes
used by the EU to make rulings on infrastructure projects.
This means that if it is believed that a scheme could
potentially cause harm to EU citizens or the environment, but there is little
scientific consensus on the issue, politicians or planning authorities may make
discretionary decisions on the matter.
“If the risk was assessed, An Bord Pleanála may have
invoked the precautionary principle and refused permission for cables so close
to people’s homes,
? the spokeswoman stated.
“If these magnetic fields are benign as the developer
claims, why were they not examined as part of the planning process and allowed
to inform the route selection?
?
“In Rush the cables pass as close as 1.5 metres to
people’s homes, which is not a sufficient set back distance for the magnetic
field to fall off.
?
The spokeswoman claimed that EirGrid has received
planning permission for a system with a static magnetic field only.
“They have not received permission for a system with
transient magnetic fields,
? she alleged.
EirGrid said the East West Interconnector will operate
well within the latest international guidelines which are set by the
International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP).
EirGrid project manager, Sean Meagher, told Northside
People:
“Rush Community Council have mistakenly stated that the time varying
field is in the 50 Hz range, which it is not, being instead much closer to the
0 Hz limit and there are completely different health guidelines for the
different frequencies.
“The time varying fields carried on the East West
Interconnector do not pose any health concerns to anyone living along the
route.
?
Mr Meagher added that a report carried out by leading
international energy company KEMA confirmed that the time varying magnetic
fields associated with the cables were well within the international guidelines
to ensure public health.
A spokeswoman for Fingal County Council confirmed that
members of the public had raised a number of
“enforcement issues
? with the
local authority in relation to the planning permission granted to EirGrid.
“These issues are complex and technical and require
adequate time for detailed investigation,
? she told Northside People.
“EirGrid has co-operated fully with the council in
this investigation.
“Fingal County Council is continuously monitoring this
development and will take whatever action is necessary to enforce completion of
the project in compliance with the terms of the planning permission.
?
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