The Knockmore-Ballina Action Committee against plyons created Christmas cards for this year’s Christmas season, to raise awareness of their fight against the proposed over grounding of 440kv power lines in the area. In the group’s statement on their cards they address the county’s TDs, county councillors, county manager, and the other influence makers around the project. In their message they say: “We wish you a happy Christmas and live in hope that all of you will come to understand the connection between commercial wind farms, ugly substations, grotesque giant pylons, dangerous high voltage lines, and rural decimation. The effects of this proposed, ugly, giant, metallic zip in the Moy Valley will be devastating. For what? The delivery of costly, intermittent, and unreliable electricity that is not needed, is paid for in our bills and taxes, and carried on the backs of vibrant rural communities whose very continuity will be threatened. That kind of electricity has about as much chance of drawing in new industry as fully paid bond holders have of taking a retrospective haircut.
This then is not an upgrade or modernisation of the grid, it is simply a costly and unnecessary imposition.”
They also warned politicians who “have facilitated this decimated landscape, will have to pay a premium. However payback time will be deferred until the local and European elections.”
