"Council has received a complaint that builders materials which have been dumped have been exposed following a landslip adjacent to 40 Carrickmore Road, Ballycastle which is within the Ballycastle Coalfield ASSI.
I have attached photographs for your information and look forward to your comments." .. Moyle Council 03 August 2011
"Our scientific staff visited the site on 3/8/11.
They noted a small area of erosion which has exposed some concrete and a pipe. There has been no impact on the geological features of Ballycastle Coalfield ASSI.
There is no evidence of a breach of the Environment Order and NIEA can take no further action in this instance.
Further to our email to you on 10/1/11 the current landowner has now been formally notified of the ASSI designation. There has been no further reports of damaging activity since then." .. CDPCompliance, DOE, 10 August 2011
[click images to enlarge]
Why were all of these issues not dealt with in the correspondence between officials of the Council and the Department of the Environment? Has the DOE given a green light to anyone to dump, bury or otherwise dispose of building and other materials in an ASSI? Councillors as well as the public will undoubtedly be concerned that such serious matters have not been fully addressed. Presumably these DOE scientific officers will now be invited by Council to carry out a fuller investigation.
Update
McGill letter to Moyle Council 18 August 2011 It is to be circulated to Councillors at their next Council meeting on August 22, 2011.
Related DOE issues - Carry on up Torr
Do Moyle Council and other public agencies need to be more assertive when it comes to the public interest: Blot on the Landscape 2 and Locals Keep Out?
