Leitrim groups to join the march for robust wind farm regulations

CEPA (Communities and Environmental Protection Alliance) will march to the offices of Dáil Éireann on Tuesday, May 21, to demand robust wind farm regulations and operation of onshore wind farms in Ireland.

The march will begin from the Garden of Remembrance, Dublin, at 1pm and aim to be in front of Dáil Éireann by 2pm.

Among the groups joining the march are the Wind Aware Dromahair and Save Dough Mountain groups, which are part of the CEPA. In addition, members of communities adversely affected by wind farms in Leitrim will join the march.

CEPA is a voluntary group representing communities all over Ireland directly impacted by wind energy developments. 

Their core focus is advocating for environmental regulation policies that safeguard public health and well-being and preserve environmental integrity.

There are currently over 41 wind farm action groups in the alliance, covering 20 counties, from Donegal to Cork. No matter the location, the concerns are the same - large industrial-scale wind turbines up to 220m in height that are ‘too big, too close, and too loud’ for the nearby homes, schools, and communities and in environmentally valuable land, including biodiverse peatlands. 

Turbines are too loud, and under current guidelines, neighbours are not sleeping well (high court ruling March 8). No regulator and no statutory noise regulation exists.

This leaves those communities in the position of having to take on exhaustive campaigns and expensive legal cases to protect themselves.

CEPA says robust and equitable regulations would benefit all stakeholders involved in Ireland’s energy sector. Communities and natural habitats would be safeguarded, and there would be clear certainty in the planning and development of energy projects.

CEPA said that the 2004 Planning and Wind Energy guidelines are now outdated and have been outstripped by technological advances in turbines and the evolution of Ireland’s climate and energy objectives. In addition, the 2006 guidelines did not have a Strategic Impact Assessment (SIA) carried out. An SIA is a fundamental requirement to ensure full compliance with EU law.

CEPA launched a six-week campaign leading up to the march on May 21 earlier this month. This includes a campaign video to be shared on social media, an online petition, and letters to county councillors, TDs, and MEPs outlining current regulations and guidelines inadequacies.