Environmentalists in Ireland are rejoicing at the news that President-elect Donald Trump’s operatives at his golf resort in Doonbeg, Co. Clare have scrapped plans to construct a nearly two mile sea wall along the beach to protect his course against erosion. The plan was a controversial one and was met with fierce opposition by some locals because of its size, at nearly 15 feet high, and scope. On Tuesday, Trump Doonbeg officials announced a scaled back plan to protect certain parts of the course that are particularly exposed to the elements on the first, ninth and 18th holes. They are hopeful that the plan will be approved in a matter of months.
Joe Russell, manager of Trump Doonbeg, said he was concerned about the amount of time the original application would have required to proceed.
“Was that acceptable given the threat of the ocean? It wasn’t and what we needed to do was to protect the vital areas of the golf course where we feel any more erosion would cause huge disruption to our business,” he said.
“We need to get something done quickly. I don’t have the time and the ocean keeps coming at me.”
Save the Waves, an environmental group that sponsored a petition that now has more than 100,000 signatures opposed to the original wall, called the development a “good news story.” “This is a defining milestone for the campaign. It demonstrates the power of the international community to protect our coasts. Save the Waves and its Irish partners will continue to monitor the new proposals and remain engaged to guide them towards a responsible solution, but today more than 100,000 people can celebrate the fact that the original ill-conceived sea wall proposal has been scrapped,” spokesperson Nick Mucha said.
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