2003 Derrybrien landslide

{{short description|Landslide in County Galway, Ireland}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}

{{Use Hiberno-English|date=June 2020}}

The 2003 Derrybrien landslide occurred on 31 October 2003, on the side of Cashlaundrumlahan, a hill near Derrybrien in County Galway, Ireland. It was focused around turbine 68 in the Derrybrien wind farm, and disrupted further construction.

The landslide dislodged {{convert|450000|m3}} of peat after days of dry weather.{{cite web|url = http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0703/105303-derrybrien/ | title = EU court rules against Ireland on Derrybrien| website = rte.ie | publisher = RTÉ News | date = 3 July 2008| accessdate = 9 July 2020 }} While initially coming to rest {{convert|2.50|km}} away, it moved further three weeks later when rains came, entering the Derrywee River (Abhainn Da Loilioch),{{cite magazine | url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19125591-600-the-hidden-cost-of-wind-turbines/ | title=The hidden cost of wind turbines | date=5 July 2006 | first=Ed | last=Douglas | magazine=New Scientist | accessdate=16 June 2020 }} and eventually spilled {{convert|20|km}} away into Lough Cutra.{{cite report |author1= Richard Lindsay |author2=Olivia Bragg | url = http://www.uel.ac.uk/erg/documents/Derrybrien.pdf | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20131218090914/http://www.uel.ac.uk/erg/documents/Derrybrien.pdf | archivedate = 18 December 2013 | title = Wind farms and blanket peat| pages = 70, 79–87, 111 | publisher = University of East London | date = 2004}} The lake was also the source of the townland of Gort's drinking water, and this caused disruptions to supply. An impact assessment on the wildlife within the lake determined that more than 50 percent of fish in the lake had been killed due to this pollution, about 50,000 fish of all ages and species groups had perished. A smaller peat slide near turbine 17 had occurred prior to the main movement on the 16th but it did not result in the suspension of the construction of the wind turbine farm.

In 2004, the engineering and construction companies (associated with the wind farm development) were convicted of being responsible for the pollution,{{cite web|url = http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/1020/55807-derrybrien/ | website = rte.ie | publisher = RTÉ News | title = Companies convicted for Galway river pollution | date = 20 October 2004 | accessdate = 9 July 2020 }} while the charges against the wind farm company itself were dismissed.{{cite web|url = http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/1019/55728-derrybrien/ | website = rte.ie | publisher = RTÉ News | title = Galway court dismisses pollution prosecution | date = 19 October 2004 | accessdate = 9 July 2020 }} In 2008, the European Court of Justice ruled against the Irish government, noting that an environmental impact assessment should have been undertaken before the project was allowed to proceed.