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Residents in East Cork are teasing about a proposed pig farm in the area, with concerns about the farm’s odors and emissions among their top concerns.
The campaign is picking up speed despite public meetings and door-to-door information being off the table due to Covid-19 restrictions.
More than 50 submissions were made in relation to an application for a pig farm last August, but with more information required by the local authority on plans for the Ballymacoda facility, community activists have urged others in the area to Express your opinion before the March 18 Deadline.
According to the planning section of the Cork County Council, Derra Farms Ltd has applied to demolish the existing pig buildings and construct a new pig finishing building at Curraheen in Ballymacoda.
In the application, Derra Farms Ltd says that the demolition of the existing building designed for 1,000 pigs would be replaced by the new facility to fatten 4,500 pigs, stating that it will modernize production using lower emissions.
Semi-state research and development authority Teagasc has attached its support for the new building, saying the existing facility is based on processes from the 1980s. The new facility would use equipment that would reduce odors and emissions from the farm, Teagasc said. .
However, residents say they have not had inquiries from Derra Farms Ltd to address their concerns or alleviate concerns about the size, scale and day-to-day operation of a much larger facility.
Hundreds of people have joined a Facebook group that opposes the development.
POWER (Protecting the Aquatic Environment and Residents) East Cork said it had major concerns about air and water quality, local impact on fish and wildlife, noise and odors emanating from an upgraded facility.
According to the applicant’s own environmental impact assessment, ecosystems such as waterways, streams and groundwater sources are adjacent to the extended lands.
The Womanagh River is 800m north of the site boundary, while the nearest house is only 70m away.
About 19 public sources of groundwater supply, plus many private wells connected to homes.
A spokesperson for POWER East Cork told the The app was of great concern to local residents, who were unable to galvanize themselves as usual during the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, and were caught off guard by it.
“We have not been able to knock on doors or hold a public meeting, as is often the case. That means we rely on social media to spread the word,” said Kat Power.
Local businesses, community organizations and political representatives have expressed their support, he added.
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