Judicial Review Launched in Respect of Consents to Allow for the Creation of Underground Gas Caverns in Islandmagee, Northern Ireland Near Where Scenes of the Game of Thrones Series Filmed.

Islandmagee Energy Limited is proposing the creation of 7 underground gas storage caverns on the Islandmagee Peninsula by carving out of salt layers under the lough by a method known as “solution mining” and the application for the caverns includes associated marine infrastructure. No Gas Caverns Ltd and Friends of the Earth Ltd have applied for leave to apply for judicial review against the grants of a Marine Construction Licence, a revised Discharge Consent and a revised Abstraction Licence, which are all required for the project.

The proposed claim is brought on grounds of review grouped into ten heads, including the failure of the Department of Agriculture Environment & Rural Affairs (“the Department”) to conduct a lawful assessment of the project’s environmental impacts under the Marine Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2007 and the Habitats Regulations; the Department’s unlawful failure correctly to assess the environmental impacts of decommissioning, which amounts to project splitting; and the Department acting unlawfully by not bringing the Licence Application, a cross-cutting issue, to the attention of the Executive Committee.

In The Matter Of An Application By No Gas Caverns Limited And Friends Of The Earth Limited To Apply For Judicial Review and In The Matter Of Decisions By Department Of Agriculture Environment And Rural Affairs.

Gregory Jones QC is acting for the Applicants, instructed by Maria O’Loan of Tughans Solicitors.

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Judicial Review Launched in Respect of Consents to Allow for the Creation of Underground Gas Caverns in Islandmagee, Northern Ireland Near Where Scenes of the Game of Thrones Series Filmed.

Judicial Review Launched in Respect of Consents to Allow for the Creation of Underground Gas Caverns in Islandmagee, Northern Ireland Near Where Scenes of the Game of Thrones Series Filmed.

Gregory Jones KC