Page 89 - Donegal CC An Rpt 19

Presentation of Overall winner of Mens Shed Upcycling Challenge to Kilmacrennan Mens Shed
Anti-litter awareness campaigns were also carried out including the Big Donegal Clean- Up with over 200 community clean-ups taking place involving more than 5,500.
A number of local ambassadors helped promote the campaign and the campaign was also supported by the John Breslin Show on Highland Radio.
Litter Management
A Litter Team encompassing 11 staff continues to work closely with the community in preventing litter, and coordinating clean ups in conjunction with Tidy Towns and Community Groups throughout the County.
More than 3000 litter & waste investigations were conducted, including a number of
multi agency operations. A highly successful dog fouling awareness campaign led by the litter wardens continued. Over 47 tonnes of mostly historical waste removed from scenic areas across the County as part of the 2019 Anti Dumping Initiative. The Local Authority successfully secured €101,916 from the Department of Communications, Climate Action & the Environment to deliver this initiative. The funds focussed on a number of key projects including: providing community clean up assistance through resources and support. This project enabled the council to support community clean ups, Tidy Towns and other environmental groups in a real and tangible way. This initiative also included investment in surveillance equipment including camouflaged covert cameras.
Air Quality Management
Air quality monitors have been in place and operational at suitable sites in both Letterkenny and Buncrana, with the
latter showing good results for PM10 and PM2.5, key indicators of air pollution from the burning of smoky coal. In the case
of Letterkenny, the onset of the burning season saw large spikes in these indicator parameters, confirming that the burning of smoky coal in the “ban area” was continuing. This led to an increase in enforcement activities including visits to coal merchants and out of hours patrols designed to interrupt the supply of non-compliant fuels. In tandem with that, the Environment section carried out two well received door- to-door campaigns, with a large team of staff engaging and informing the public on the doorstep. Air quality monitors showed some improvement in air quality following these various initiatives.
Flood Relief Schemes
The Office of Public Works (OPW) formally approved the development of flood relief schemes for 9 towns and villages in Donegal. A new section, the Flood Relief Schemes Unit, was established within Donegal County Council. This unit has
taken project management responsibility schemes in 8 locations; Burnfoot, Castlefinn, Glenties, Downings, Kerrykeel, Ballybofey and Stranorlar, Buncrana and Luddan and Ramelton. The OPW is project managing
a flood relief scheme for Lifford in addition to the project for Raphoe which it has been managing for a number of years.
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