Public Inquiry: Dalradian Goldmine Applications for Discharge Consent and Abstraction & Impoundment Licence

The PAC/WAC has decided to conjoin the hearings on the applications made to DAERA alongside the planning applications relating to the proposal. Please refer to the Planning Appeals Commission for the procedures and updates relating to the Curraghinalt Project (Dalradian) Public Inquiry.

The conjoined inquiry, scheduled to open on 13 January 2025, will consider representations on the following 4 applications submitted to DAERA, for water discharge consents and water abstraction and impoundment licences:

• Water Discharge consent applications TC 80/20 and TC 81/20
• Abstraction and impoundment licence applications AIL/2024/0008 and AIL/2024/0009

Applications

Application documents for the Abstraction and impoundment licence can be found at Applications for Abstraction and Impoundment: Dalradian Goldmine Ltd AIL/2024/0008 and AIL2024/0009

Application documents for the discharge consent applications can be found at:

• Application for Consent to Discharge TrC 80/20
• Application for Consent to Discharge TrC 081/20

Documents relating to the Planning application can be found on the NI Planning Portal at Simple Search | Planning Portal (planningsystemni.gov.uk)

using the planning reference: LA10/2017/1249/F

Representations Received

DAERA has summarised the representations received in response to the applications  focusing on the salient points raised by individuals. Similar comments or questions have been grouped. The representations were provided in full to the PAC and are available on request.

See summary of the public representations received in relation to the above applications below:

• Summary of representations received in relation to consent applications (TrC 80/20 and TrC 81/20)
• Summary of representations received in relation to abstraction applications ( AIL/2020/0105 and  AIL 2020/0106)
• Summary of representations received in relation to abstraction applications ( AIL/2024/0003 &AIL 2024/0004)
• Summary of representations received in relation to abstraction applications (AIL/2024/0008 &AIL 2024/0009)

See below redacted copies of the representations received by DAERA in response to all of the advertisements.  Names, Address and certain personal information has been redacted. Representations are provided in batches due to the size of the PDF Documents:

• Representations received in relation to the consent applications TrC 80/20 & TrC 81/20
• Representations received in relation to abstraction applications AIL/2020/0105 & AIL/2020/0106
• Representations received in relation to abstraction applications AIL/2024/0003 & AIL 2024/0004 Batch 1; Batch 2; Batch 3; Batch 4; Batch 5; Batch 6 
• Representations received in relation to abstraction applications AIL/2024/0008 & AIL/2024/0009 Batch 1; Batch 2 
• All Redacted Representations - Received outside of Time Frame - AIL/2024/0008 & AIL/2024/0009

 

Submissions to the Inquiry

• NIEA Statement of Case-Abstraction Applications
• NIEA Rebuttal Statement – Abstraction Applications
• NIEA Statement of Case-Discharge Consent Applications
• NIEA Rebuttal Statement – Discharge Consent Applications

Key Documents

The Department has collated a document index in advance of the public local inquiry. The Index can be accessed at the following link, it provides quick access to the relevant documents in respect of the Discharge Consent and Abstraction Applications. This index will continue to be added to: 

DAERA Document Index in respect of the Discharge Consent and Abstraction Applications

Anyone who wishes to view the documents can do so in person under supervision. 

In addition, please see key documents which are relevant to the inquiry, these are also listed in the Document Index:

• Condition assessment for Northern Ireland’s Freshwater Pearl Mussel Margaritifera Margaritifera population Horton, M., Bell, D., Keys, A. & Mitchell, F. (2018) . Report prepared by Ballinderry Rivers Trust for the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.
• Owenkillew and Owenreagh Freshwater Pearl Mussel Survey Data Ballinderry Rivers Trust 2021-2022
• Investigative Electro-Fishing Survey on Curraghinalt Burn and Pollanroe Burn. Loughs Agency for Northern Ireland Environment Agency, 2021
• DC 5 Revised TC 80/20 Proposed Discharge Criteria Owenkillew and Curraghinalt Oct 2020
• DC 6A Updated Shadow HRA Nov 2020
• DC 13 TC 81/20 Revised Proposed Discharge Criteria Owenreagh River and Pollanroe Oct 2020
• Information to Inform Habitats Regulation Assessment Pursuant to article 6(3): Curraghinalt Gold Project, James O’Neil Associates, July 2019.

LA10/2017/1249/F Planning Documents Relevant to the above Applications:

• PAO LA10/2017/1249/F D2 Draft Surface Water & GW Environmental Monitoring Plan DGL Oct 2020
• PAO LA10/2017/1249/F Conceptual rehabilitation and closure plan 2020
• PAO LA10/2017/1249/F Groundwater Baseline Report 2020 update
• PAO LA10/2017/1249/F Second addendum to the Surface water baseline report 2020
• PAO LA10/2017/1249/F Site Water Balance 2020 update
• PAO LA10/2017/1249/F Surface water impact assessment 2020 update

 

At the Pre-Inquiry meeting held on the 20^th March 2024, the Commissioner requested additional supporting information in relation to the consent to discharge for exploration site (consent reference TC 40/12) and other information regarding the applications for environmental authorisations. Please refer to the Planning Appeals Commission at Curraghinalt Project (Dalradian)

Additional correspondence with the PAC is detailed below:

• Letter to the PAC from NIEA regarding provision of paper copies of Statements of case
• the PACs response to NIEA regarding provision of paper copies of Statements of case