CAMPAIGN group No Gas Caverns and Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland are to appeal a decision to allow the construction of huge gas caverns under the seabed at Larne Lough.
In August, the High Court in Belfast ruled that former Stormont agriculture minister Edwin Poots was legally entitled to give the go-ahead to grant a marine licence to a subsidiary of Harland & Wolff to build the seven underground units.
That was despite opponents claiming the excavation process would pose a major threat to marine life and lead to hypersaline salt and chemical solution being discharged into the sea near Islandmagee.
But the two lobby groups have confirmed they are taking the matter to the Court of Appeal, insisting Mr Poots acted unlawfully in authorising the construction of the development.
In a statement they say there are two principal grounds for mounting an appeal - the failure to refer the applications to the Executive Committee; and the taking into account of an irrelevant consideration, namely the community fund.
A formal appeal has been submitted and the groups are now waiting for the court to set a date for the appeal.
The organisations have also set up a crowd-funding page to support their case.
James Orr, Director of Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland, said: “We continue to stand with the residents of Islandmagee to protect this beautiful part of Northern Ireland. It is our continued belief that the destruction caused by this mining is landscape trauma. The gas caverns project is not needed, not welcome and, in our view, unlawful.
“Let’s be in no doubt that we will not be held to ransom to the fossil fuel companies behind this project. They are on the wrong side of history if they think they can drive through new fossil fuel infrastructure in a climate emergency.
“On a final point, we cannot allow ministers to return to making “solo runs” and undermine the fundamental constitutional function of the Executive Committee.”
Lisa Dobbie of No Gas Caverns said: “We are so grateful to Friends of the Earth for continuing to stand with us, a group of ordinary people forced to take extraordinary action against a government department and former Minister who we believe have acted unlawfully in approving this nature wrecking major fossil fuel infrastructure.
“It is incredibly difficult for citizens to access environmental justice in Northern Ireland, but with the actions of a very determined group of residents, an expert legal team and the support of hundreds of people who have donated so generously we continue to fight for nature and our precious environment.”
The area, near Islandmagee, is designated an Area of Special Scientific Interest and where key scenes from the Game of Thrones series were filmed.
Under the plans, seven skyscraper sized underground caverns would be carved out of salt layers under the lough by a method know as solution mining.
