A complete of seven Mineral Prospecting Licences (MPLs) have not too long ago been issued throughout Northern Ireland, together with two within the South Tyrone space, which grants firms reminiscent of Karelian Diamond Sources Plc permission to seek for valuable metals over a big space of Mid Ulster, together with Ballygawley.
Different licences have additionally been granted within the Sperrins space of Tyrone, the place there have been ongoing group tensions concerning a proposed gold mine.
Nevertheless, in keeping with paperwork seen by this newspaper, the licences have been authorized regardless of hundreds of objections lodged throughout a current public session. These objections got here from each native residents and two district councils.
One high-profile objector, Mid Ulster District Council, urged the Division for the Economic system (DfE) to “recognise the heightened ranges of worry and concern felt inside native communities on this space over the problems surrounding one of these mining and the actions of mining firms.”
Fermanagh and Omagh District Council additionally voiced sturdy opposition to the licences, with councillors urging it to pursue a judicial evaluate.
Total, a complete of two,153 session responses have been obtained from members of the general public, with solely 4 expressing assist.
Many objections raised environmental issues, together with claims of a “lack of environmental evaluation and the potential impression on protected websites,” which “shouldn’t be topic to exploration actions.”
In response, the Division for the Economic system acknowledged {that a} two-stage environmental evaluation for mineral prospecting was carried out. These assessments adjust to environmental laws, guarantee no hurt to protected websites, and require website restoration.
“Granting an MPL doesn’t assure approval for all exploration actions,” the Division added.
In the meantime, different respondents raised issues concerning the “cumulative environmental results of exploration actions.”
In response, the DfE mentioned: “One of many situations of a licence set by the Division is a requirement for a licensee to make good, so far as attainable, any disturbance attributable to exploration actions.”
Respondents additionally raised issues concerning the impression on communities of granting mining and exploration licences, citing tensions already seen in components of the Sperrins.
The Division acknowledged that it’s “conscious of tensions” in rural Tyrone and mentioned it could urge licence holders to “interact with communities.”
“The Division is conscious of tensions between these against and people in assist of exploration and mining, notably in areas in and across the proposed gold mine at Greencastle, County Tyrone,” it mentioned.
“The Division encourages all licensees to have interaction proactively with the area people and, the place acceptable, to have a Neighborhood Engagement Programme in place.”
Different respondents “made it clear” that they opposed any mineral exploration or growth. One respondent questioned who “finally advantages” from the business growth of mineral assets.
In response, the Division highlighted potential advantages of mining, together with “high quality, long-term employment,” “uncooked supplies to supply inexperienced applied sciences,” and elevated tax and business revenues.
Some respondents felt that MPLs are being granted or renewed ‘comfy and with out query’, claiming that the Division operates a ‘presumption in favour’ of issuing such licences.
The Division denied this, asserting that “every MPL utility is taken into account by itself deserves.”
Different issues have been raised concerning the potential impression of mineral exploration on tourism and well-liked vacationer websites, particularly at a time when native councils are selling sustainable tourism.
Nevertheless, the Division strongly denied that mineral exploration would have a destructive impression on tourism.
“Mineral exploration has been ongoing for a lot of a long time,” it mentioned. “The exploration actions carried out below these licences are comparable in scale and scope to these traditionally undertaken within the space, and the Division is assured they’ll haven’t any destructive impression on tourism.”
