Kildare bogland 'shouldn't be turned into solar farms or landfills'
Call to rehabilitate peatlands
A significant area of bogland in County Kildare should not be turned into landfills or solar farms.
That's according to Cllr Brendan Wyse, who backed a call for an independent report on the environmental, heritage of Ballydermot Bog, which straddles Kildare and Offaly.
It came from Cllr Brian O’Loughlin who said the environmental assessment should include the biodiversity potential and carbon sequestration (the process of capturing and storing carbon dioxide) of these peatlands.
He said the peatlands should be rehabilitated for present and future generations, at a Kildare County Council meeting.
KCC pointed out, however, that the lands are Bord na Móna-owned and the preparation of any report “is a matter for the landowner and not KCC.”
But, Cllr Wyse described the reply as a “fob off” and he pointed out that KCC has an interest because the land is owned by the State.