War of words erupts over dust in Limerick

A GREEN Party activist and local geographer has warned the anti-incineration lobby they risk “damaging their own cause through hyperbole”

It comes after Limerick Against Pollution (LAP) member Mary Hamill took issue with a claim made by Breandan MacGabhann that dust particles had travelled to Limerick from the Sahara Desert.

She said the former local election candidate is wrong, and she said the dust was “very similar” to dust coming from the Irish Cement plant in Mungret.

Although there is no evidence to suggest it was the case on this occasion, Irish Cement has in the past admitted dust has blown from their factory onto cars and house windows in the environs.

Ms Hamill pointed to contact made with Met Eireann which said there was no evidence the dust came from Africa either.

She wrote: “On the day of the dust deposit members of Limerick Against Pollution along with residents brought the incident to the attention of the EPA.  It was requested that the EPA take samples of this dust from the cars of residents and from the Irish Cement plant in Mungret for analysis and comparison as the dust was very similar to what came from the plant in the past.”

LAP are locked in a long-running battle against Irish Cement’s €10m plan to switch away from fossil fuels to solid recovered waste and used tyres, a plan the company says is vital for its survival.

Mr MacGabhann says he supports the group in their aim, but maintained the dust did blow from the desert: “The dust had a reddish hue, as expected for sand particles from a desert location like the Sahara. The Barcelona Dust centre said on March 19 its modelling suggested Saharan dust would reach Ireland in the early morning of March 21, consistent with the timeline.”