The natural beauty of Blackrock, County Louth, is deeply intertwined with its coastal landscape, but recent environmental concerns threaten to change that. The Haggardstown Blackrock Community Forum along with many residents are alarmed by the state of our local beach especially the recent seaweed accumulation.

The salt marshes have for decades been home to many rare species of wintering birds and sea otters . Sea otters are at the top of the red list in terms of protection under the  NPWS . The marshes are being destroyed with sewage and toilet waste including paper and sanitary products and wildlife are possibly eating it. 

The stinking seaweed , and it's ingredients, on Blackrock beach, are  connected to the Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) at Cocklehill being maxed out,  allowing raw waste into the bay via out flow pipes , it is a reflection of  Uisce Eireann's infrastructural problems . This concern is exacerbated by the rapid housing development in our parish, overwhelming our current wastewater treatment capacity. An adequate sewage treatment plant should be the starting point for further  development in the area . We cannot  sit back and watch our beautiful environment being destroyed by poor infrastructural and political decisions? Housing is a priority  but that doesn’t mean it’s acceptable to have sewage going into the bay .

The remit for the care of our beaches falls to NPWS, National Parks and Wildlife Service, who do not allow machinery on beaches. Hence removal of the seaweed would have to be done manually.

The pressing issue at hand is not just aesthetic it's environmental . The consequences of an overburdened wastewater system is having a direct impact on our local environment; the potential demise of the salt marsh in the Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and Special Protection Area (SPA) of Dundalk Bay is a real possibility. The salt marsh is a crucial carbon sink and plays a significant role in maintaining biodiversity and ecological balance. To neglect this essential piece of our natural environment would be to risk irreversible damage to both our local ecology and the wider climate system .

To address this issue, it's imperative that we advocate for the development of a new WWTW facility to support the growing demands of our community to show councillors and TDs we want change . Our current system is simply not sufficient for the volume of wastewater produced by our expanding population. Discussion and studies shared on our Facebook page back this up with scientific data and sound reasoning (see: https://www.facebook.com/groups/351653580679898 Haggardstown Blackrock Community Forum  CLG. 

A new treatment facility is necessary to sustain measured  growth and preservation of our community. It will mitigate the environmental degradation we are witnessing and ensure a safer, cleaner place for our families and future generations. Standing idly by as our environment struggles under the weight of our needs is not an option.

We urge the citizens of Blackrock and anyone concerned about environmental protection to show their support here,

for a new WWTW facility. Let us demonstrate to local authority LOUTH, that we want to safeguard our community's environmental health through improved infrastructure development. Temporary above ground sewage holding tanks on new housing developments are now acceptable through planning as an alternative to sorting the main problem of our waste water treatment plants bursting at the seams . Temporary holding tanks are  not the solution. 

Please sign this petition to make a positive change for Blackrock and Haggardstown, our community. Together, let's protect Dundalk Bay, preserve its natural beauty, and prevent further environmental decline.