Sea swimming challenge raises over £2000 for 'No Gas Caverns' campaign

Linda McGibbon took to the water at Portmuck during September in an effort to raise funds for the 'No Gas Caverns' campaign, founded in opposition to the Islandmagee gas storage project.

"Living in Whitehead, I spend a lot of my time on Islandmagee; my children go to school there, friends live locally and I regularly walk and swim there," Linda said.

"I became aware of the No Gas Caverns campaign when it started and have always given it any support I could, as I firmly believe in everything it is doing. Islandmagee is such a beautiful place and it must be protected at all costs.

"All monies raised will be used by the No Gas Caverns campaign to fund legal costs."

With an initial target of £1000, the venture has since raised over £2000 and counting.

Writing on Facebook at the end of Sepemtber, Linda said: "It's been a waterlogged month of swimming with some tremendous people and you have been so generous with your donations."

The Islandmagee gas storage scheme would consist of several underground caverns, capable of storing up to 500 million cubic metres of gas in Permian salt beds.

InfraStrata PLC, the company behind the proposed development, said it was a "well-proven technique that represents the most environmentally-friendly, safe and efficient method of storing large volumes of natural gas".

However, the plans have attracted considerable opposition in both the local area and further afield.

Earlier this year, a coalition of environmental groups united as the Marine Task Force expressed concerns that the project could pose a considerable threat to the area.

The task force said the development would see "significant underwater construction and associated noise disturbance, the discharge of brine waste product and the permanent loss of sea floor habitat – affecting harbour porpoises, seals, puffins, guillemots, terns and reefs."

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