A two day hearing began this month, of a legal challenge to plans for an asbestos storage site in County Antrim. Residents of Crumlin, who have mounted a long-running campaign against the site, were granted a judicial review of the decision to approve planning permission for the site at nearby Crosshill. The Government said the plant, which would deal with asbestos from all across Northern Ireland, would pose no risk to health and gave it the green light in March 2005.
The proposal will see double-bagged asbestos being transported to Crosshill by the firm Eastwood Ltd, where it will be stored in steel containers before it is moved on for final disposal in England. However, objectors believe the risk of contamination is too great. Crumlin Against Asbestos Chairman Michael Keating said, "We have always said that the people of Crumlin have genuine concerns over the decision to grant planning permission for the asbestos facility in our village, and we are satisfied that those concerns will now be given the attention they deserve."
In other asbestos news, a new drop in centre to help asbestos victims has opened in Belfast. The centre will the base for local pressure group Justice for Asbestos Victims, which provides practical and emotional support for those affected by asbestos-related illnesses.
