The elected members of Mayo County Council accepted the draft Western River Basin District Management Plan and the Shannon International River Basin District Management plan this week, but with a number of reservations attached to the plans. Fine Gael whip Cllr Joe Mellet proposed the acceptance of the plans, but with the inclusion of the three reservations about the plan. The reservations included that nothing in these plans should supersede the County Development Plan, that they didn’t accept that 31 per cent of pollution in the rivers came from agriculture, and that the plan did nothing to supersede the current EU nitrates directive.
While the plan was adopted by the elected members, a number of them did raise concerns about the fact that the reservations would have no impact on the plan as it stands, which will now go forward for further approval. At special meeting on the issue earlier this month, the members were told by acting county manager Joe Beirne that even if they were not to accept the plan he was bound by law to accept it on their behalf and send it forward to the next stage, which he would do. Director of services Seamus Granahan told the meeting that the plan would now go forward to the EPA, who then approve it before sending it to the Minister of the Environment, who after his approval in turn sends it on to the European Union for ratification. He also confirmed to the elected members that, as it stands, the nitrates directive is the superseding law and will still be even with the acceptance of this plan.
