The peninsula of Islandmagee is home to a small community in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, currently threatened by a project to create seven caverns beneath Larne Lough with the purpose of storing gas. This project (proposed by InfraStrata) could prove devastating, as highly concentrated brine will be disposed of into the sea to the east of Islandmagee between Skernaghans Point and the Gobbins, just 450m from shore and 27 metres) of sea north west of Muck Island - thus creating a dead zone. Each cavern will be 85m x 185m and store an estimated 50 million cubic metres of gas.
This is a marine protected area with a Natura 2000 site, four ASSIs (Areas of Special Scientific Interest, protected by the NI government as areas that represent the best of wildlife and geological sites making a considerable contribution to the conservation of its most valuable natural places), two nature reserves and the highly acclaimed Gobbins (a cliff-face path at Islandmagee on the Causeway Coastal Route, which runs across bridges, past caves and through a tunnel, along the Gobbins cliffs recognised for their rich birdlife, important geology and notable species).
Locals choose to live on the peninsula of Islandmagee because of its natural beauty, and are horrified by the environmental damage which could be caused by the proposed project. The area is home and breeding area to sea otters, harbour porpoises, dolphins, whales, grey seals, skate, salmon, sea trout, rare purple starfish, and also sand eels and fish which provide food for the many nesting birds, such as kittiwakes, razorbills, peregrine falcons, puffin and tern etc. The area should be protected and preserved as an environmental treasure.
Please sign and share the petition to help stop this project, which seems to benefit no-one but InfraStrata's shareholders. Another site which does not harm the environment should be designated for this project!
Links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6P96N3ghGoY&frags=pl%2Cwn
https://thegobbinscliffpath.com
https://www.causewaycoastalroute.com/islandmagee.html
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/islandmagee
http://data.wildlifetrusts.org/reserves/isle-of-muck
https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/publications/larne-lough-assi
https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/publications/gobbins-assi
