+++ Green Party Press Release +++  
  
Greens Unanimously Back Kelly Case Against Proposed Superdump  
  
The Green Party in East Galway has announced its support for Ann Marie Kelly's legal action to halt the proposed massive landfill in Kilconnell, Co. Galway.  
 
Ann Marie Kelly explained, "The Greens held a meeting last Sunday, and some members invited me to talk to them.  I explained that the law was changed to allow county managers to go against the wishes of elected councillors and grant permission for superdumps, and that in my view that new law is unconstitutional.  I asked the party for their support and I'm delighted that they agreed to do so.  I'd like to thank them for listening to me and for agreeing to support my case on behalf of my local community."  
  
Siobhan Nevin, who was the party's local election candidate in Tuam, added "I am pleased to be able to support Ann-Marie in her  action to defend the people of Kilconnell against the threat of a massive landfill site which would devastate their quality of life and injure their health.  We've been working on this issue for a long time and it's only right that we are supporting Ann-Marie now."  
  
Michelle Walker, the secretary of the party's East Galway constituency branch, explained "The membership voted unanimously to give Ann-Marie the local party's backing in the case she is taking on behalf of her local community. Landfills on this scale are against the party's 'zero waste' policy, which is to promote maximum levels of recycling and aims to progressively eliminate waste altogether through better product design." 
 
'Zero Waste' is a policy idea gaining support across the political spectrum in Ireland and worldwide.  It involves maximising recycling through greater investment in infrastructure, separating all organic materials for composting, and storage of unrecyclable waste in small scale, locally based, clean, segregated sites known as 'cleanfill'.  The long-term objective is to avoid manufacturing any product which cannot be either recycled or safely returned to the environment.  This would be done through improvements in product design over ten or  twenty years.  Zero Waste policies are already being implemented by provincial and national governments in New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the U.S. and by a number of well-known manufacturing companies, such as HP, Fuji Xerox, Gillette, Fetzer Vineyards, Epson and Panasonic.  
  
The Green Party also supports the idea of Resource Recovery Parks, being promoted by Zero Waste Alliance Ireland who recently made a presentation on the subject to Galway City Council.  
  
Ann-Marie's father Brendan, who is a member of the party, said "I'm very proud today.  Proud of my daughter in the brave stand she's taking, and proud of our party for supporting her." 
  
+++ ENDS +++  
  
Contacts:  
Siobhan Nevin: 086 8179600, 093 39807, siobhannevin@ireland.com 
Ann Marie Kelly: 087 9420735, 09096 87778  
  
Further Information:  
Siobhan Nevin is the Green Party's Regional Co-Ordinator for the North West (Connacht, Ulster and Clare) and she stood as a candidate for the party in this year's local elections in the Tuam area.  
  
Ann Marie Kelly is not a member of any political party.  She stood as an independent in this year's elections in the Ballinasloe area. She is taking a case challenging the Waste Management (Amendment) Act 2001 on the basis that it breaches Article 28A of the Irish Constitution.  A document explaining the basis of her challenge is included with this email. 
 
A copy of the Zero Waste Ireland presentation to Galway City Council is also included with this email.