Member Info for Snowman100

I would add, just for the record that I hold a first class BSc honours in Environmental Sciences majoring in ecology and oceanography..........and I have faith that the marine checks will be sufficient to protect the environment.

Leesa has said before that she is female and IMO her view is perfectly valid.....why shouldn't she not like the idea of the project? It's a free world. There is absolutely no need of abuse.

If I was a local, I would want to make absolutely sure that the brine discharge wouldn't cause harm to the marine bio in close proximity. Among other local species there are dolphins and Grey seals and it's only natural to want to protect them.

IMO the stringent marine environment checks, modelling and monitoring we are undertaking which are a statutory requirement are put in place by the marine authorities in order to protect them so they will not be harmed.

We will make sure we comply explicitly with that, and rightly so!

Meanwhile Leesa and all the locals are entitled to their protectionist views and I fully empathise with that.....but I'm sure all the due processes and safeguards when put in place will help to give them more confidence in our operation.

I've spoken with John in London and he's very environmentally sympathetic and aware and I'm 100% sure he is doing all that he could possibly do to conserve the environment during the temporary saline discharge. Saline discharge won't even be an issue once the solution mining stage is over.

I'm now battening down the hatches and getting ready for some stiff replies.

GLA !

DSR share price up to 0.13 Canadian dollars from 0.075 three weeks ago.

We have 500,000 shares so now worth 65,000 US dollars = £40,000.

Not much in grand scheme of things but better than a kick in the teeth.

Bloody good riddance!
Now we can move on.

To be perfectly clear.....here is the legal jargon relating to Marine Licence Judicial Reviews...
'For third parties, however, beyond involvement in the consultation process there is only one route of appeal available (to those considered to have sufficient interest), against a marine licence decision by the MMO; that is to appeal by way of judicial review. It should be noted that the judicial review process will not consider the merits of the decision, but whether the decision was made lawfully.'

In a past life, I was a case officer, although not for marine licences. Had some judicial reviews of cases.

GLA !!

When Leesadee mentions a judicial review, at judicial review the opinions coming to a decision can't be challenged, only the process that was followed can be challenged on a technical point of law. In other words it could be thrown out only on a legal technicality....then the process begins all over again.

Thanks LEESA for that clarification.

Here’s the complete current process updated on Government website December 2018

When you initially apply DAERA allocates to a case officer

1. DAERA aim to determine 90% within 13 weeks of allocation…depending on complexity some may take longer…… (they aren’t kidding!)
2. Technical Assesment: This may include Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Habitats Regulation Assessment, Marine Conservation Zone assessment, Marine Planning Assessment, Water Framework Directive Assessment, Waste Framework Assessment or others, as required. Your case officer will request further information from you if required at this stage.
3. Consultation: Your case officer will instruct you on actions for advertisement if required. Your case officer starts consultation on the application, including any supporting documents and assessments. They’ll gather information from consultees and the public throughout this stage of the process. As responses are received, if the case officer considers that there is insufficient information to continue assessment or if new issues are identified, further consultation with the applicant and advisers may be required at this stage. If the case officer cannot progress the application, a case may be put on hold pending further information. In exceptional circumstances a case may be rejected. We’ll formally close the consultation once we have everything we need to make a decision. Please note: An application which also requires an EIA requires a minimum 6-week consultation. Non-EIA applications typically require a 4-week consultation.
4. All responses (public and consultees) considered at Stage 3 are evaluated and recorded. Any other assessments identified in Stage 2 are concluded and recorded. A decision document is prepared if required. A draft licence is prepared and shared with you. You will have an opportunity to clarify any points, if required. At the end of this stage, the application is approximately 2 weeks from the completion date.
5. Decision, recommendation and approval: The case manager undertakes a quality check of the decision, assessments, supporting documents and licence. Your case officer makes changes to the documents if required. The case manager approves the licence and all supporting documents for issuing. At the end of this stage, the application is approximately 1 week from the completion date.
6. Application Completion: The marine licence, decision documents and supporting information are sent to you and published on the public register. The application is closed.
7. Monitoring: Impacts and consequences of activity are monitored in accordance with any conditions on the marine licence. Please refer to our detailed guidance on monitoring for more details.

As I understand it, the 42 day consultation period hasn't changed. It's still 42 days to submit representations after it gets advertised in the local media. Then the government responds and gives opportunity for applicant to make any amendments if necessary before making a decision whether to grant it or not. The decision may be appealed but only by the applicant.

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He added: “If the marine licence was not issued, the project would need to identify another option to remove the brine from the solution mining process.”
A Department for Infrastructure spokesperson confirmed that “the two different consents (planning permission and the marine licence) would need to be approved before the proposal could commence”.
Lisa said she was “angry and desperately disappointed” that the council had not requested an independent marine assessment prior to the publication of the marine license applications.
“The call from the council meeting to request a marine assessment should have been acted on without delay, especially since they knew the proposal was time-sensitive,” she stated.
“The council should have been more vocal and proactive. The Gaelectric advert says that the public will have 42 days to respond to the marine applications, until June 21, which I don’t think is enough time.”
MEA Borough Council said the application was regionally significant, and it was “only being consulted” on the matter. However, it added that it “reserves the right” to request an independent public enquiry into Gaelectric’s proposal, and said this “can be sought at any appropriate time”.

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A lot has been said regarding the Marine Licence, some correct some incorrect. The article below from the Larne Times in 2016 when Gaelectric were applying, gives a good overall view of the issue.
I'm just putting this here so everyone has a comprehensive idea of the argument from both sides.

12th May 2016
Concern over Islandmagee power plant’s marine effect
Chair of the Stop Gaelectric campaign group, Lisa Dobbie, spoke out as the energy firm published three applications relating to the marine element of its £300 million Islandmagee plan.
This week’s Times features advertising publicising Gaelectric’s applications for a marine construction licence, a discharge consent licence and a licence to abstract/impound water.
The applications state that this will be limited to “abstract seawater at north-north west off the coast of the Ferris Point headland, for the purpose of solution mining salt caverns; discharge brine arising solution mining, into the sea at north-north east off the coast of Dundressan, Islandmagee; and construct the marine infrastructure required for abstraction and discharge purposes at the aforementioned locations”.
Gaelectric has already submitted a separate planning application for the power plant section of the project, which would store compressed air in underground salt caverns and release it to generate electricity when demand is high.
The proposal to pump brine (the waste by-product from the cavern excavations) into the sea off Islandmagee has caused concern among local residents over its potential effect on marine life.
At a meeting of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s planning committee on March 10, elected members voted in favour of Larne councillor Paul Reid’s motion to request that the Northern Ireland Environment Agency carry out an independent assessment of marine issues arising from the brine outlet pipe. The Times has learned that this was subsequently ratified at the planning committee meeting on April 7.
However, at the time of going to press the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) said that it had not yet received any request for a marine study from the local authority.
A DAERA spokesperson commented: “To date, DAERA Marine Licensing has not received correspondence from the council in relation to the request for independent assessment by a marine biologist in relation to the planning application.”
While planning permission is necessary for the terrestrial element of the scheme, marine licensing must be applied for regarding activity between the mean high water spring tide, out to 12 nautical miles. Only the applicant can appeal any decision on the licensing schemes.
The DAERA spokesperson said that if planning permission were to be forthcoming, it could be issued before a marine licence is determined, and that it is aiming to process Gaelectric’s marine applications by August.

There will be an avalanche of buying when first bit of news hits the printing press. The SP is an absolute gift here.

Nice.........lets hope DD points to our potential project being a goer !

If all systems go...and we should probably know in a few months.......then SP will move faster than a proton in a sub-atomic particle accelerator !!

Wonder if it could actually be BP who has asked us to look into the facilitation of it......probably more likely VITOL seeing we are rubbing shoulders with them already.......all the really big boys are going to be very interested in any project of that nature......and we have exclusivity for 12 months!

Looking back at this share price in a years time will seem totally surreal !!!!

GLA !!!!!

Nice article mac,
Right to the point.......IMO if our RNS was that concise clear and well worded the SP would have taken off.

If his track record is that bad how come he is still getting hired by companies.......someone (boards?) must be getting something very tasty out of employing him? What is his game? What is he attempting to do?

7 fold increase in reserves is 14 Million Oz of Palladium.

That"s in the region of 20 Billion US dollars!!

That takes us to the realms of major miner!!!

Come to daddy!!!

Just filter them.

I read in the tea leaves that the doubters and nay-sayers will be singing a very different tune after this weeks RNS and news finally breaks regarding gold in them thar hills!

GLA !!

Hold fast me hearties..............I think when the news flow eventually starts..........it will come in a torrent........it will be like popping the cork on a bottled genii of the 4th degree.

IMO........It will be up over 3p in an instant........remember January it shot up to 2.12p in minutes.......just on the news that the off-take deal was close !!!!!!!!

Stand by.....strap yourselves in......could be any day now !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

'Too add the directors with all the info to make an informed decision aren't buying at this price.'

They don't really have to, they have taken to paying themselves in shares.

Just to be crystal clear....I have no intention of selling one share.....even if the price drops to just above zero!