Lisheen Mine
At Wednesday’s Joint Committee meeting, North Tipperary Deputy Noel Coonan was informed that the life of Lisheen Mine, Moyne, Thurles, Co Tipperary has been extended possibly to the end of 2014 and Anglo American Lisheen Mining Ltd see the site as having the potential to become a leading renewable energy location into the future.
The local Fine Gael TD who is a member of the Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, yesterday examined the topic of Irish mining and exploration. In attendance at the meeting was Mr John Elmes of Anglo American Ltd, owner of Lisheen Mine.
Deputy Noel Coonan stated:
“Additional mineral deposits have been uncovered at Lisheen mine and extraction will continue post 2014. We are exploring the idea that, on closure of Lisheen Mine, the site could become a forerunner in the field of renewable energy. The site, located between the villages of Moyne and Templetuothy, is ripe with opportunity having it’s own ESB sub-station and connection to the grid. It is ideally located off the M8 and is also in close proximity to the N7 so transport is not an issue. This is a viable opportunity that must be teased out. Mr Elmes and I both agreed that this industrial site already has excellent facilities in place and these should be maximised upon.
Anglo America is actively promoting the site as a centre for the production of wind and hydro energy because of its zoning as an industrial site and the facilities already there. So there’s no reason why the site could not also generate energy from sugar beet and anaerobic digestion and become a thriving industrial renewable energy site,” said Deputy Coonan.
I’m calling on the Government and all departments involved including the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to do everything in its power to promote Lisheen Mine as a centre of renewable energy, especially in the area of ethanol production.
The sugar beet industry in Thurles should never have closed according to the European Court of Auditors’ report and I believe the industry could be reignited again and I will be pushing for this to happen in my role as Fine Gael’s CAP spokesperson.”
When Monsanto enticed local sugar beet producers to grow round up ready sugar beets, production dropped 60% in some fields. The original factory could not meet demand, and imported crops from other growers in Ireland, and in some cases from other countries,this drove up cost, eliminating the Government of Irelands interest in the facility.They in turn sold it, privitazing it….it was not the Governments decision to “scrap” the facility……however this issue did lead to Irelands denouncing Monsanto’s Genetically Modified seed, and therefor banning it, which probably saved Irish agricullture millions by keeping out the errors of Monsanto in agricultural endeavours in Ireland.
Currently the Monsanto fiasco has driven out 75% of commercial rice production in East texas, Lousiana and Arkansas with SUPERWEEDS which eliminate the ability to grow rice with conventonal herbicides. Rumor has it that Monsanto is negoiating purchases of NON ROUNDUP READY RICE from China for import to the US to fill the loss.
I know nothing of the mine in Thurles, only their sugar beet facility. I was there in 1989 as Organic representative for the San Diego County Farm Bureau to investigate the failure of the sugar beet facility in Thurles as a direct result of Monsanto’s genetically modified seed (GMO’S) to report the failure back to the California Board of directors. I did interviews, and took photos, as well. This sad story of Montansantos rape of the earth with their money making gimmicks in Genetic enginering is costly in the field of agriculture.
I do support wholeheartedly the research and development in laborotories to find future genetics in our food system, but to use humanity as common experiments, in their lust for profits has no basis anywhere, and should be outlawed by all nations.
As an American Citizen I offer my deepest apologies to the Government and the people of Ireland-from which I am descended- for allowing Monsanto’s political takeover of the United States Government, as can be objectively documented in the relationships of MOST government officials up to the SUPREME COURT where former Monsanto employees, directors,lawyers and Ceo’s have wormed their way into our once honorable government. These unfortunates are wreaking havoc not only nationally, but on an international scale, and I offer my apologies untill we can figure out how to thwart their aggressive takeover.They have recently employed a BLACKWATER OFFSHOOT to “protect their employees” and on the same day Bill and Melinda gates purchased 500,000 shares of Monsanto Stock. The shadow grows tall.