THE Cabinet is expected to sign off today on a €40 million package to begin the clean-up of one of Ireland’s largest toxic waste dumps.
After years of surveys and reports on the contaminated former Irish Steel/Irish Ispat plant in Cork Harbour, the Cabinet is poised to approve the setting aside of €20m in the 2012 budget and €20m in the 2013 budget to tackle the site on Haulbowline island.
The site contains slag heaps — byproducts of the steel-making process — including the deadly carcinogen chromium 6 and a number of heavy metals.
Minister for Agriculture, Marine and Food Simon Coveney will seek approval for the package at this morning’s Cabinet meeting.
"I am confident they will sign off on this," Mr Coveney said last night.
"Despite the difficult economic conditions, we are planning to set aside €40m over the next two years to clean up this site.
"This is a strong signal of intent — a strong statement that we are serious about tacking this issue."
Mr Coveney said the Government has a legal obligation to put a proper framework around how the site is managed.
Mr Coveney volunteered earlier this year to chair an inter-agency task-force, involving government departments, the Environmental Protection Agency and Cork County Council, to examine the Haulbowline site, where some 500,000 tonnes of toxic waste are dumped.
The Irish Examiner first highlighted the Haulbowline toxic dump scandal in June 2008 when environmental consultant Stephen Griffin blew the whistle.
He was one of several subcontractors employed by the state to remove some of the hazardous materials from the polluted island.
Irish Examiner
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Showing posts with label Haulbowline Island. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Haulbowline Island. Show all posts
Sunday, 9 October 2011
Wednesday, 13 April 2011
Residents seek action on Haulbowline clean-up
Ireland faces the prospect of being heavily fined by the European Commission over its failure to clean up the Haulbowline site near Cobh in Co Cork.
The Commission today warned that unless urgent action was taken, the case would go to the Court of Justice because of the State's systemic failure to deal with the problem.
Haulbowline used to be a centre of steel production, but is now a contaminated site filled with toxic by-products.
Residents have been promised a clean-up for over a decade and are now seeking action from the Petitions Committee of the European Parliament with political support.
Spokesperson Mary O'Leary said: 'We have had ten years of prosperity where money was available to tackle this problem, yet little was done.
'The fear of the community now is that the issue will be put on the back boiler for another ten years and we will have to live with the consequences.'
A spokesman for the Commission said he shared the residents' frustration and stated bluntly Brussels would take Ireland to the Court of Justice for fines unless action happened urgently.
The Commission said it will report back to the Petitions Committee within three months but expected action by Ireland before that time.
RTE.ie
www.buckplanning.ie
The Commission today warned that unless urgent action was taken, the case would go to the Court of Justice because of the State's systemic failure to deal with the problem.
Haulbowline used to be a centre of steel production, but is now a contaminated site filled with toxic by-products.
Residents have been promised a clean-up for over a decade and are now seeking action from the Petitions Committee of the European Parliament with political support.
Spokesperson Mary O'Leary said: 'We have had ten years of prosperity where money was available to tackle this problem, yet little was done.
'The fear of the community now is that the issue will be put on the back boiler for another ten years and we will have to live with the consequences.'
A spokesman for the Commission said he shared the residents' frustration and stated bluntly Brussels would take Ireland to the Court of Justice for fines unless action happened urgently.
The Commission said it will report back to the Petitions Committee within three months but expected action by Ireland before that time.
RTE.ie
www.buckplanning.ie
Tuesday, 28 September 2010
Former steel plant waste dump has no permit
The government has told the European Commission that there is no permit for a waste dump on the site of the former Irish Steel plant at Haulbowline in Co Cork.
The EU commission has been investigating whether the site complies with EU law after it received a complaint about the dump in 2009. The steel works closed in 2001.
In response to a European Commission request for information, the Irish government confirmed that, during a site clean-up organised by officials from the Department of the Environment, a hazardous sludge pit was discovered at the site.
The site is owned by the state, which carries all liability arising from it, including any commitment to make it compliant with EU environment law.
The department hired a team of consultants to conduct an environmental assessment at the dump, which is now referred to as the east tip.
The expert study concluded that there was no threat to human health in the area arising from the dump, despite the presence of significant contaminants on the site.
‘‘Inasmuch as the east tip appears to have served as a disposal site for waste from the steel works during its period of operation, the circumstances point to the need for it to have been the subject of a waste permit under EU waste framework legislation of the European Parliament and of the council on waste," read a briefing given to the European Parliament by Janez Potocnik, EU Environment Commissioner.
‘‘However, the Irish authorities have indicated that the relevant licence under Irish law was invalidated by the Irish High Court in 2004 and that there is currently no permit in place," The update followed a series of queries from Irish MEPs on the EU’s stance in relation to the dump, including one from Fianna Fáil MEP Sean Kelly.
‘‘The Irish authorities have set up a working group to consider the future use of the site and indicated that the relevant permit arrangements are dependent on the outcome of this," Potocnik told MEPs in a letter dated September 1.
‘‘In the light of this information, the commission is considering the next appropriate steps to take," In his query to the commission, Kelly said the Irish National Cancer Registry had ‘‘proved that the island of Cobh has one of the highest cancer rates in the country’’.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
The EU commission has been investigating whether the site complies with EU law after it received a complaint about the dump in 2009. The steel works closed in 2001.
In response to a European Commission request for information, the Irish government confirmed that, during a site clean-up organised by officials from the Department of the Environment, a hazardous sludge pit was discovered at the site.
The site is owned by the state, which carries all liability arising from it, including any commitment to make it compliant with EU environment law.
The department hired a team of consultants to conduct an environmental assessment at the dump, which is now referred to as the east tip.
The expert study concluded that there was no threat to human health in the area arising from the dump, despite the presence of significant contaminants on the site.
‘‘Inasmuch as the east tip appears to have served as a disposal site for waste from the steel works during its period of operation, the circumstances point to the need for it to have been the subject of a waste permit under EU waste framework legislation of the European Parliament and of the council on waste," read a briefing given to the European Parliament by Janez Potocnik, EU Environment Commissioner.
‘‘However, the Irish authorities have indicated that the relevant licence under Irish law was invalidated by the Irish High Court in 2004 and that there is currently no permit in place," The update followed a series of queries from Irish MEPs on the EU’s stance in relation to the dump, including one from Fianna Fáil MEP Sean Kelly.
‘‘The Irish authorities have set up a working group to consider the future use of the site and indicated that the relevant permit arrangements are dependent on the outcome of this," Potocnik told MEPs in a letter dated September 1.
‘‘In the light of this information, the commission is considering the next appropriate steps to take," In his query to the commission, Kelly said the Irish National Cancer Registry had ‘‘proved that the island of Cobh has one of the highest cancer rates in the country’’.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
Friday, 10 September 2010
Petition brings toxic dump fight to Europe
A 5,500-signature petition, which is aimed at forcing the Irish Government to undertake a clean up operation at a toxic dump on Haulbowline island in Cork was handed to the European Parliament last week.
The petition, drafted by the Cork Harbour Health pressure group, was presented to Eurocrats by Ireland South MEP Sean Kelly.
In July 2008, it was discovered that tonnes of toxic waste had been dumped on Haulbowline island, including the highly carcinogenic Chromium 6. Major concerns have been raised that the dump could be responsible for Cobh having a 37% higher rate of cancer than the national average.
"It is time that the Irish authorities deal with this ongoing issue. This toxic dump is not licensed and this has been the case for 10 years," Mr Kelly said. He said he was hopeful that the European Parliament would put pressure on the Irish Government to clean up the dump and make it safe.
Much anger was generated in Cobh when Health Minister Mary Harney decided she wasn’t going to carry out a baseline health study on the local population, especially as a promise to do so had been previously made by Environment Minister John Gormley.
Anger reached fever pitch when it was discovered that a task force set up by the OPW didn’t have any remit to clean up the site.
Mr Kelly stressed that Ireland was held to be in breach of the Waste Management Directive 75/442/EEC, as all landfills are required to be licensed under European law. He said there were no exceptions to this and expected the European Parliament to act on the matter.
Steel manufacturing began on Haulbowline Island before World War II and he said the industrial residues of the steel manufacturing process have been embedded in and around the island for over 60 years.
"The Irish state cannot afford to let this situation continue. The inhabitants of the Cork harbour area deserve to know if there is a link between the high cancer rates and the leaching toxins from the site," the MEP said.
He added it was important to clean up the site from an environmental perspective.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The petition, drafted by the Cork Harbour Health pressure group, was presented to Eurocrats by Ireland South MEP Sean Kelly.
In July 2008, it was discovered that tonnes of toxic waste had been dumped on Haulbowline island, including the highly carcinogenic Chromium 6. Major concerns have been raised that the dump could be responsible for Cobh having a 37% higher rate of cancer than the national average.
"It is time that the Irish authorities deal with this ongoing issue. This toxic dump is not licensed and this has been the case for 10 years," Mr Kelly said. He said he was hopeful that the European Parliament would put pressure on the Irish Government to clean up the dump and make it safe.
Much anger was generated in Cobh when Health Minister Mary Harney decided she wasn’t going to carry out a baseline health study on the local population, especially as a promise to do so had been previously made by Environment Minister John Gormley.
Anger reached fever pitch when it was discovered that a task force set up by the OPW didn’t have any remit to clean up the site.
Mr Kelly stressed that Ireland was held to be in breach of the Waste Management Directive 75/442/EEC, as all landfills are required to be licensed under European law. He said there were no exceptions to this and expected the European Parliament to act on the matter.
Steel manufacturing began on Haulbowline Island before World War II and he said the industrial residues of the steel manufacturing process have been embedded in and around the island for over 60 years.
"The Irish state cannot afford to let this situation continue. The inhabitants of the Cork harbour area deserve to know if there is a link between the high cancer rates and the leaching toxins from the site," the MEP said.
He added it was important to clean up the site from an environmental perspective.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Thursday, 24 June 2010
EU asked to look into Cork toxic dump case
THE European Commission is to be asked to investigate the Government’s handling of a toxic dump discovered in Cork harbour.
Ireland South MEP Sean Kelly said he would be raising the matter with the commission after it was disclosed that a working group set up by the OPW had no remit to address remediation, contamination or containment at the site on Haulbowline island.
There was widespread anger after Health Minister Mary Harney refused to carry out a baseline health study on people living in the lower harbour.
Mr Kelly said it "beggared belief" that two years after the discovery of the dump, which contained highly carcinogenic Chromium 6, nothing had been done to assess its health risks or clean it up.
The MEP said he would be asking the commission if the Government had broken any European laws in relation to the dump.
He said he would also be appealing to the commission to provide money for a clean-up and a baseline health survey of the local population.
Earlier this week, Deputy David Stanton accused the Government of either attempting a cover-up or exhibiting incompetence by allowing the working group, set up under the OPW, to examine the future of the site without immediately addressing the most important issue: how to make it safe. Environment Minister John Gormley, meanwhile, has defended the Government’s protracted effort to find a long-term solution to the toxic Haulbowline site.
Cobh has a cancer rate 37% above the national average, and the cause of this hasn’t been identified.
The minister said the risk assessment and working group process, which has been criticised for its failure to deal with the contamination, was the best way forward.
"It is crucial that in dealing with such sites, rather than piecemeal action, which could inadvertently cause problems with the local community and the environment, a coherent overall approach is taken and we have the objective to ensure we get the best possible result."
Mr Gormley was responding to a Labour Party motion in the Seanad which criticised the Government’s record on the site.
Mr Gormley said the initial working group, which only met for the first time this year, would inform future work.
This will involve consultation with the community throughout the harbour area, he said, and help decide what is the best remediation method for the former Irish Steel site.
He said the Irish Steel buildings had already been demolished and decontaminated. And he claimed more had been spent on clean up work during 12 months of the Green Party in Government than in the previous 68-year history of the site.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Ireland South MEP Sean Kelly said he would be raising the matter with the commission after it was disclosed that a working group set up by the OPW had no remit to address remediation, contamination or containment at the site on Haulbowline island.
There was widespread anger after Health Minister Mary Harney refused to carry out a baseline health study on people living in the lower harbour.
Mr Kelly said it "beggared belief" that two years after the discovery of the dump, which contained highly carcinogenic Chromium 6, nothing had been done to assess its health risks or clean it up.
The MEP said he would be asking the commission if the Government had broken any European laws in relation to the dump.
He said he would also be appealing to the commission to provide money for a clean-up and a baseline health survey of the local population.
Earlier this week, Deputy David Stanton accused the Government of either attempting a cover-up or exhibiting incompetence by allowing the working group, set up under the OPW, to examine the future of the site without immediately addressing the most important issue: how to make it safe. Environment Minister John Gormley, meanwhile, has defended the Government’s protracted effort to find a long-term solution to the toxic Haulbowline site.
Cobh has a cancer rate 37% above the national average, and the cause of this hasn’t been identified.
The minister said the risk assessment and working group process, which has been criticised for its failure to deal with the contamination, was the best way forward.
"It is crucial that in dealing with such sites, rather than piecemeal action, which could inadvertently cause problems with the local community and the environment, a coherent overall approach is taken and we have the objective to ensure we get the best possible result."
Mr Gormley was responding to a Labour Party motion in the Seanad which criticised the Government’s record on the site.
Mr Gormley said the initial working group, which only met for the first time this year, would inform future work.
This will involve consultation with the community throughout the harbour area, he said, and help decide what is the best remediation method for the former Irish Steel site.
He said the Irish Steel buildings had already been demolished and decontaminated. And he claimed more had been spent on clean up work during 12 months of the Green Party in Government than in the previous 68-year history of the site.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Tuesday, 14 July 2009
EPA ‘failed in duty on harbour site’
THE Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) has accused the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of failing in its duty to compel the Government to get a licence for the storage of hazardous waste at the former Irish Steel site at Haulbowline in Cork harbour.
FIE spokesman Tony Lowes said yesterday that the EPA had the power to force the Government’s hand on the future of the site but had failed to do so.
The FIE is now to take legal action itself over the continued holding of waste without a licence at the site. The FIE is seeking an urgent high court injunction to compel Environment Minister John Gormley to either apply for a licence for the site or remove the waste.
"The EPA has been running for cover on this," said Mr Lowes. "They are supposed to be the ones who licence waste facilities. The minister has consistently refused to apply for a licence and no doubt the EPA is aware of this yet they have done nothing about it. We are taking this high court action as a last resort to show that the Government, any more than an individual, cannot be exempt from our environment laws.
"The owner of the site is the Government and that means they have legal responsibility. You would have thought the EPA would have stepped in and done something, but they haven’t. The EPA has remained silent on this issue. Its office of environmental enforcement has not fulfilled its rule and there has been no explanation for this."
The EPA did not respond to a request to address the FIE’s complaint.
Mr Lowes added that his organisation believes the reason for the minister’s failure to apply for a licence is because this would trigger an environment impact assessment which would reveal the full extent of the hazardous waste at Haulbowline.
Already 112,000 tons of hazardous waste has been removed and transported to Germany for treatment but 280,000 tons of material remains. Tests conducted in Germany show levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium, chromium and mercury among the surface waste taken from the site.
Last week Minister Gormley announced that the Government is to establish a new working group to develop detailed proposals on the future of the site. Mr Gormley said that the group, which is to be chaired by the Office of Public Works, will be asked to determine the optimum use for the site.
However, Mr Lowes described this as a "fudge".
"This is the second working group in the past three years. What we need is a hazardous waste disposal facility established here."
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
FIE spokesman Tony Lowes said yesterday that the EPA had the power to force the Government’s hand on the future of the site but had failed to do so.
The FIE is now to take legal action itself over the continued holding of waste without a licence at the site. The FIE is seeking an urgent high court injunction to compel Environment Minister John Gormley to either apply for a licence for the site or remove the waste.
"The EPA has been running for cover on this," said Mr Lowes. "They are supposed to be the ones who licence waste facilities. The minister has consistently refused to apply for a licence and no doubt the EPA is aware of this yet they have done nothing about it. We are taking this high court action as a last resort to show that the Government, any more than an individual, cannot be exempt from our environment laws.
"The owner of the site is the Government and that means they have legal responsibility. You would have thought the EPA would have stepped in and done something, but they haven’t. The EPA has remained silent on this issue. Its office of environmental enforcement has not fulfilled its rule and there has been no explanation for this."
The EPA did not respond to a request to address the FIE’s complaint.
Mr Lowes added that his organisation believes the reason for the minister’s failure to apply for a licence is because this would trigger an environment impact assessment which would reveal the full extent of the hazardous waste at Haulbowline.
Already 112,000 tons of hazardous waste has been removed and transported to Germany for treatment but 280,000 tons of material remains. Tests conducted in Germany show levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium, chromium and mercury among the surface waste taken from the site.
Last week Minister Gormley announced that the Government is to establish a new working group to develop detailed proposals on the future of the site. Mr Gormley said that the group, which is to be chaired by the Office of Public Works, will be asked to determine the optimum use for the site.
However, Mr Lowes described this as a "fudge".
"This is the second working group in the past three years. What we need is a hazardous waste disposal facility established here."
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Plans drawn up to fill in part of toxicwaste dump
PLANS are being drawn up to fill in part of a toxic waste dump in Cork harbour which contained traces of the highly carcenogenic Chromium 6.
County councillors have been informed that backfilling is planned for an exposed lagoon on the eastern side of the dump at Haulbowline. Sharon Corcoran, the council’s director of services, furnished county councillors with a report yesterday on what is likely to happen to the site.
She said backfilling the exposed lagoon on the eastern tip of the site was a short-term objective, as was securing the perimeter boundary. The report was issued just days after Minister for the Environment John Gormley said he was establishing a working group, chaired by the OPW, to look at the long-term future of the site.
Cobh-based Cllr John Mulvihill (Lab) said he wasn’t impressed with Mr Gormley’s pronouncement.
"He can set up all the groups he wants, but the fact is there is still a toxic waste dump there. It’s possible the EU will move on us and make us pay fines for every day it exists. It’s still not cleaned up. If Gormley was in Opposition he’d be sitting in the middle of it on a bike," an angry Mr Mulvihill said. He pointed out cancer rates in Cobh were 44% higher than in other parts of the country.
"There are major concerns down there. We’re trying to develop the harbour as a tourist amenity. Who is going to develop anything with this in the harbour," he added.
Cllr Sean O’Connor (Ind) described Mr Gormley’s response as "not before time". He insisted safeguards would have to be put in place before any work undertaken to ensure hazardous dust didn’t escape from the site.
Cllr Noel Collins (Ind) said Mr Gormley believed there were no health risk associated with the site.
"The jury remains out on that one. Public are confused and frightened. It’s expected the cost of cleaning it up will be €300 million. Regardless of cost this has to go ahead," Mr Mulvihill said.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
County councillors have been informed that backfilling is planned for an exposed lagoon on the eastern side of the dump at Haulbowline. Sharon Corcoran, the council’s director of services, furnished county councillors with a report yesterday on what is likely to happen to the site.
She said backfilling the exposed lagoon on the eastern tip of the site was a short-term objective, as was securing the perimeter boundary. The report was issued just days after Minister for the Environment John Gormley said he was establishing a working group, chaired by the OPW, to look at the long-term future of the site.
Cobh-based Cllr John Mulvihill (Lab) said he wasn’t impressed with Mr Gormley’s pronouncement.
"He can set up all the groups he wants, but the fact is there is still a toxic waste dump there. It’s possible the EU will move on us and make us pay fines for every day it exists. It’s still not cleaned up. If Gormley was in Opposition he’d be sitting in the middle of it on a bike," an angry Mr Mulvihill said. He pointed out cancer rates in Cobh were 44% higher than in other parts of the country.
"There are major concerns down there. We’re trying to develop the harbour as a tourist amenity. Who is going to develop anything with this in the harbour," he added.
Cllr Sean O’Connor (Ind) described Mr Gormley’s response as "not before time". He insisted safeguards would have to be put in place before any work undertaken to ensure hazardous dust didn’t escape from the site.
Cllr Noel Collins (Ind) said Mr Gormley believed there were no health risk associated with the site.
"The jury remains out on that one. Public are confused and frightened. It’s expected the cost of cleaning it up will be €300 million. Regardless of cost this has to go ahead," Mr Mulvihill said.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Gormley faces suit over waste storage
THE FRIENDS of the Irish Environment (FIE) has announced that it is to take legal action against the Minister for the Environment over the continued holding of waste without a licence at the former Irish Steel site at Haulbowline in Cork harbour.
FIE spokesman Tony Lowes has told The Irish Times that solicitors for the group have informed John Gormley of its intention to seek an order in the High Court compelling him to either remove the waste at Haulbowline or obtain a licence for its continued storage.
Mr Lowes said FIE was concerned about serious levels of pollution from heavy metals, including lead, from the continued holding of waste on the site and that this had been acknowledged by the Department of the Environment as far back as 2004.
He cited an affidavit sworn by the current department secretary, Geraldine Tallon, in a legal action to recover costs from the Ispat liquidator in 2004, that “there is serious environmental pollution at the site as a result of holding, recovering or disposing of waste”.
Mr Lowes said that under the Waste Management Act 1996, any person or body holding waste for more than six months must have a licence. Despite repeated requests to the Minister for the Environment, he had failed to apply for a licence to hold the waste.
“We have repeatedly written to the Ministers involved requesting them to apply to the Environmental Protection Agency for a waste licence, but the only response has been to establish yet another ‘working group’,” he said.
In the letter, lawyers for Friends of the Irish Environment say: “Our client formally calls upon you to apply to the EPA for a licence for the ongoing holding of waste or, in the alternative, for the decontamination of the island by means of removal and proper licensed disposal of the waste currently held on the island.”
A department spokesman said he could not comment on the legal letter sent by FIE as it had not yet been received, but that it would forwarded to the department’s legal advisers for consideration upon receipt.
The spokesman said there had been “ongoing engagement” between the Department of the Environment and the EPA in relation to the site and that Mr Gormley was committed to cleaning up the site and achieving a long-term sustainable solution.
“One of the key issues for Minister Gormley is that deciding the future of the site would be done in consultation with everybody, including the regulatory authorities such as the EPA as well as with the local community and that remains his objective,” he said.
“This site has a history going back 70 years and since he took office, Minister Gormley has spent more and done more to involve the appropriate experts and relevant stakeholders to ensure a long-term sustainable solution.”
Last week, Mr Gormley said the Government would establish a new working group, chaired by the Office of Public Works and involving a range of departments and State agencies, to develop detailed proposals for the future use of the site.
Meanwhile, Cork East TD Seán Sherlock (Labour) has voiced strong criticism of Mr Gormley’s plan. “Setting up a working group is a classic kick to touch. There has to be a concrete set of proposals for the site. Whether that will mean excavation or containment is for the Minister to ultimately decide, but he should make that call now.”
Mr Sherlock welcomed the prospect of local involvement in the process of deciding the future use of the former Irish Steel site, but stressed that the time had come for straight-talking.
“If it is going to cost more than €100 million to contain or manage the site, then let’s say so,” he said. “If the money isn’t there to do that at the moment, then let’s be honest about that too.”
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
FIE spokesman Tony Lowes has told The Irish Times that solicitors for the group have informed John Gormley of its intention to seek an order in the High Court compelling him to either remove the waste at Haulbowline or obtain a licence for its continued storage.
Mr Lowes said FIE was concerned about serious levels of pollution from heavy metals, including lead, from the continued holding of waste on the site and that this had been acknowledged by the Department of the Environment as far back as 2004.
He cited an affidavit sworn by the current department secretary, Geraldine Tallon, in a legal action to recover costs from the Ispat liquidator in 2004, that “there is serious environmental pollution at the site as a result of holding, recovering or disposing of waste”.
Mr Lowes said that under the Waste Management Act 1996, any person or body holding waste for more than six months must have a licence. Despite repeated requests to the Minister for the Environment, he had failed to apply for a licence to hold the waste.
“We have repeatedly written to the Ministers involved requesting them to apply to the Environmental Protection Agency for a waste licence, but the only response has been to establish yet another ‘working group’,” he said.
In the letter, lawyers for Friends of the Irish Environment say: “Our client formally calls upon you to apply to the EPA for a licence for the ongoing holding of waste or, in the alternative, for the decontamination of the island by means of removal and proper licensed disposal of the waste currently held on the island.”
A department spokesman said he could not comment on the legal letter sent by FIE as it had not yet been received, but that it would forwarded to the department’s legal advisers for consideration upon receipt.
The spokesman said there had been “ongoing engagement” between the Department of the Environment and the EPA in relation to the site and that Mr Gormley was committed to cleaning up the site and achieving a long-term sustainable solution.
“One of the key issues for Minister Gormley is that deciding the future of the site would be done in consultation with everybody, including the regulatory authorities such as the EPA as well as with the local community and that remains his objective,” he said.
“This site has a history going back 70 years and since he took office, Minister Gormley has spent more and done more to involve the appropriate experts and relevant stakeholders to ensure a long-term sustainable solution.”
Last week, Mr Gormley said the Government would establish a new working group, chaired by the Office of Public Works and involving a range of departments and State agencies, to develop detailed proposals for the future use of the site.
Meanwhile, Cork East TD Seán Sherlock (Labour) has voiced strong criticism of Mr Gormley’s plan. “Setting up a working group is a classic kick to touch. There has to be a concrete set of proposals for the site. Whether that will mean excavation or containment is for the Minister to ultimately decide, but he should make that call now.”
Mr Sherlock welcomed the prospect of local involvement in the process of deciding the future use of the former Irish Steel site, but stressed that the time had come for straight-talking.
“If it is going to cost more than €100 million to contain or manage the site, then let’s say so,” he said. “If the money isn’t there to do that at the moment, then let’s be honest about that too.”
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Tuesday, 9 December 2008
Gormley unable to say what will happen to Haulbowline site
ENVIRONMENT Minister John Gormley will be unable to say how the former Irish Steel plant will be dealt with until a Government decision is made on the issue.
A spokesman for Mr Gormley reiterated last night that the minister would be bringing an “options paper” to cabinet “early in the new year”.
But the spokesman said the minister could not indicate in advance what actions the Government might take, as a formal cabinet decision would have to be made on the matter.
“The minister is committed to bringing a formal memorandum to Government outlining possible ways forward. It will then be subject of a Government decision. The outcome of the Government decision cannot be pre-empted at this stage,” the spokesman said.
Consultants hired by Mr Gormley to carry out a risk assessment of the East Tip of the steel plant found it posed no identifiable risk to the health of local residents.
However, they found that recent excavations on the East Tip had exposed sludge material which could form dust in dry weather periods and therefore pose a future airborne threat. The consultants therefore recommended that these excavations be backfilled. The consultants made no recommendations on the remediation of the wider Irish Steel site because they had been commissioned only to examine the East Tip.
It is believed that removing the estimated 500,000 tonnes of waste on the site, and dealing with the toxic substances they contain, could cost up to €300 million. Given the poor state of the public finances, it is thought likely the Government will move to backfill the excavations in line with the consultants’ report, but defer the remediation of the overall site.
Green party senator Dan Boyle yesterday suggested it may be unwise to attempt remediation of the overall site in any case. He said this was because the consultants’ report appeared to indicate that the environmental risk increased when efforts were made to remove material.
“I think there have to be questions raised about it, because some of the additional risks that have come about through this report seem to indicate that the compiling of new slag heaps and the creation of open pools of water on Haulbowline were themselves environmental risks.”
He denied, however, that this meant leaving the site in its current state.
“No, I think what you’re talking about is a range of measures: the removal of all material, the removal of the most dangerous part of the material, [or] some sort of containment measures. You’re either talking about topping, capping, some kind of sheeting or some wall around the perimeter of the East [Tip] in particular that would stop any potential seepage — all of which will have cost implications.”
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
A spokesman for Mr Gormley reiterated last night that the minister would be bringing an “options paper” to cabinet “early in the new year”.
But the spokesman said the minister could not indicate in advance what actions the Government might take, as a formal cabinet decision would have to be made on the matter.
“The minister is committed to bringing a formal memorandum to Government outlining possible ways forward. It will then be subject of a Government decision. The outcome of the Government decision cannot be pre-empted at this stage,” the spokesman said.
Consultants hired by Mr Gormley to carry out a risk assessment of the East Tip of the steel plant found it posed no identifiable risk to the health of local residents.
However, they found that recent excavations on the East Tip had exposed sludge material which could form dust in dry weather periods and therefore pose a future airborne threat. The consultants therefore recommended that these excavations be backfilled. The consultants made no recommendations on the remediation of the wider Irish Steel site because they had been commissioned only to examine the East Tip.
It is believed that removing the estimated 500,000 tonnes of waste on the site, and dealing with the toxic substances they contain, could cost up to €300 million. Given the poor state of the public finances, it is thought likely the Government will move to backfill the excavations in line with the consultants’ report, but defer the remediation of the overall site.
Green party senator Dan Boyle yesterday suggested it may be unwise to attempt remediation of the overall site in any case. He said this was because the consultants’ report appeared to indicate that the environmental risk increased when efforts were made to remove material.
“I think there have to be questions raised about it, because some of the additional risks that have come about through this report seem to indicate that the compiling of new slag heaps and the creation of open pools of water on Haulbowline were themselves environmental risks.”
He denied, however, that this meant leaving the site in its current state.
“No, I think what you’re talking about is a range of measures: the removal of all material, the removal of the most dangerous part of the material, [or] some sort of containment measures. You’re either talking about topping, capping, some kind of sheeting or some wall around the perimeter of the East [Tip] in particular that would stop any potential seepage — all of which will have cost implications.”
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Local pressure groups call for more work to be done on site
THE STUDY by environmental consultants White Young Green into the risks to human health from waste at the former Irish Steel plant at Haulbowline received a mixed response yesterday from environmental groups and public representatives in Cork.
Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment (Chase) welcomed the report but called on the Minister for the Environment, John Gormley, to honour his commitment to ensuring that the site is remediated to a safe and acceptable level.
Chase spokeswoman Mary Hurley said that the report focused solely on the East Tip area of the former steel plant and called for further investigation of the risk posed by waste materials elsewhere on the site including at the former steel work buildings.
"The consultants said it was very important now to do a full investigation of the whole site and not just the East Tip area and that's what we're looking for from Minister Gormley - a full assessment of the level of risk across the entire site," said Ms Hurley
"Our other concern is that this report calls for further ongoing monitoring but that should not be used as a reason for not acting now - the situation remains urgent and we don't want the current budgetary problems used as a reason for doing nothing."
Friends of the Irish Environment spokesman Tony Lowes said that the report appeared to ignore "more than 13 years of documented evidence of concentrated contamination by basing its conclusion on three months of very limited tests".
Mr Lowes instanced the report's recommendation for "engineering improvements", "rock armouring", "back filling" and said that a "toxic lagoon discovered by accident this year had been documented as far back as 1995 but was revealed this year during backfilling.
Cobh Action for Clean Air spokesman Frank Kelleher said that he took "some comfort from the report that the threat may not be as bad as first feared" but he said the levels of Chromium 6 being found in mussels in the harbour area was "worrying".
Cobh Labour Cllr John Mulvihill said he was concerned that Mr Gormley might use the report's call for further study as a reason for deferring remedial works at the site which he said "was a matter of very great concern to the people of Cobh and the lower harbour."
"I'm afraid that next report will recommend a further report and the whole thing will get long fingered," said Mr Mulvhill. He called on Mr Gormley to honour a pledge to raise the issue of a baseline health study of people in the lower harbour area with the Minister for Health Mary Harney.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment (Chase) welcomed the report but called on the Minister for the Environment, John Gormley, to honour his commitment to ensuring that the site is remediated to a safe and acceptable level.
Chase spokeswoman Mary Hurley said that the report focused solely on the East Tip area of the former steel plant and called for further investigation of the risk posed by waste materials elsewhere on the site including at the former steel work buildings.
"The consultants said it was very important now to do a full investigation of the whole site and not just the East Tip area and that's what we're looking for from Minister Gormley - a full assessment of the level of risk across the entire site," said Ms Hurley
"Our other concern is that this report calls for further ongoing monitoring but that should not be used as a reason for not acting now - the situation remains urgent and we don't want the current budgetary problems used as a reason for doing nothing."
Friends of the Irish Environment spokesman Tony Lowes said that the report appeared to ignore "more than 13 years of documented evidence of concentrated contamination by basing its conclusion on three months of very limited tests".
Mr Lowes instanced the report's recommendation for "engineering improvements", "rock armouring", "back filling" and said that a "toxic lagoon discovered by accident this year had been documented as far back as 1995 but was revealed this year during backfilling.
Cobh Action for Clean Air spokesman Frank Kelleher said that he took "some comfort from the report that the threat may not be as bad as first feared" but he said the levels of Chromium 6 being found in mussels in the harbour area was "worrying".
Cobh Labour Cllr John Mulvihill said he was concerned that Mr Gormley might use the report's call for further study as a reason for deferring remedial works at the site which he said "was a matter of very great concern to the people of Cobh and the lower harbour."
"I'm afraid that next report will recommend a further report and the whole thing will get long fingered," said Mr Mulvhill. He called on Mr Gormley to honour a pledge to raise the issue of a baseline health study of people in the lower harbour area with the Minister for Health Mary Harney.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Haulbowline site is safe, report finds
MINISTER FOR the Environment John Gormley yesterday pledged to ensure the former Irish Steel site at Haulbowline Island in Cork harbour is cleaned up for future use after an environmental report showed waste material posed no identifiable risks to human health.
Mr Gormley said his priority was "to ensure a sustainable future for the site so that it turns from being an environmental liability into an asset for the entire local community". He will present a memo to Government on the matter early in the New Year.
The memo, he said, would include an assessment of the site as it currently exists, the work carried out to date, the various options in terms of future use of the site and the remediation that would be required for these possible uses.
He pledged there would be continued monitoring of the site, which is adjacent to the Naval Service HQ on the island, and stressed he was committed to "ongoing consultation with the local community in advance of any Government decisions as to what becomes of the site".
Mr Gormley was speaking following the publication of a report by environmental consultants White Young Green, who carried out an analysis of soil, slag, dust, surface and groundwater samples to determine the level of risk to human health from waste at the former steel plant.
The site, which is owned by the Department of Finance, covers some 20 hectares, comprising about 11 hectares formerly occupied by the steelworks and a further nine at the East Tip which has been built up by slag deposits over the decades.
WYG project manager Kevin Cleary told The Irish Times the study focused on the East Tip area but stressed the study advocated further investigation, including beneath the former steelworks buildings. "The remaining areas of the main steelworks site will need to be investigated and assessed as a separate investigation to quantify the potential for contamination from historic site operations and underground structures," he said.
Mr Cleary said the report clearly highlighted the need for continuing monitoring.
"The nature of these things are dynamic - atmospheric conditions change, for example. We have drawn a line in the sand with this report but the site needs further monitoring."
The study found elevated background concentrations of mercury, arsenic and nickel in some marine samples while an elevated lead concentration was found in a mussel sample, but none was considered to be linked to waste at the East Tip.
The authors note that chromium was detected in mussels near the East Tip and the main steelworks but they could not determine conclusively if the concentration is recent or historic. They recommend further comparative study using mussels from "a clean site".
The study also recommends that an environmental audit be undertaken on the East Naval Base site to identify potential sources for lead dust in the area of the East Tip. It recommends that ambient air monitoring be carried out during dry, windy weather for at least 30 days.
The authors compared the findings with a report they carried out in 2005 and concluded that, apart from excavation work carried out on sludges at the East Tip, there was no major change in water quality, leading to the conclusion the area was in a stable state.
However, they note that during a period of combined high tide and adverse weather conditions, the excavation works carried out in the northern area of the East Tip resulted in seawater breaching the embankment and flooding the excavated area, where oily sludge material was exposed.
The authors recommend engineering works, including rock armouring, be carried out near the shoreline to raise the site so that there is no repeat of this.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Mr Gormley said his priority was "to ensure a sustainable future for the site so that it turns from being an environmental liability into an asset for the entire local community". He will present a memo to Government on the matter early in the New Year.
The memo, he said, would include an assessment of the site as it currently exists, the work carried out to date, the various options in terms of future use of the site and the remediation that would be required for these possible uses.
He pledged there would be continued monitoring of the site, which is adjacent to the Naval Service HQ on the island, and stressed he was committed to "ongoing consultation with the local community in advance of any Government decisions as to what becomes of the site".
Mr Gormley was speaking following the publication of a report by environmental consultants White Young Green, who carried out an analysis of soil, slag, dust, surface and groundwater samples to determine the level of risk to human health from waste at the former steel plant.
The site, which is owned by the Department of Finance, covers some 20 hectares, comprising about 11 hectares formerly occupied by the steelworks and a further nine at the East Tip which has been built up by slag deposits over the decades.
WYG project manager Kevin Cleary told The Irish Times the study focused on the East Tip area but stressed the study advocated further investigation, including beneath the former steelworks buildings. "The remaining areas of the main steelworks site will need to be investigated and assessed as a separate investigation to quantify the potential for contamination from historic site operations and underground structures," he said.
Mr Cleary said the report clearly highlighted the need for continuing monitoring.
"The nature of these things are dynamic - atmospheric conditions change, for example. We have drawn a line in the sand with this report but the site needs further monitoring."
The study found elevated background concentrations of mercury, arsenic and nickel in some marine samples while an elevated lead concentration was found in a mussel sample, but none was considered to be linked to waste at the East Tip.
The authors note that chromium was detected in mussels near the East Tip and the main steelworks but they could not determine conclusively if the concentration is recent or historic. They recommend further comparative study using mussels from "a clean site".
The study also recommends that an environmental audit be undertaken on the East Naval Base site to identify potential sources for lead dust in the area of the East Tip. It recommends that ambient air monitoring be carried out during dry, windy weather for at least 30 days.
The authors compared the findings with a report they carried out in 2005 and concluded that, apart from excavation work carried out on sludges at the East Tip, there was no major change in water quality, leading to the conclusion the area was in a stable state.
However, they note that during a period of combined high tide and adverse weather conditions, the excavation works carried out in the northern area of the East Tip resulted in seawater breaching the embankment and flooding the excavated area, where oily sludge material was exposed.
The authors recommend engineering works, including rock armouring, be carried out near the shoreline to raise the site so that there is no repeat of this.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Monday, 8 December 2008
Haulbowline not a threat to locals, claims report
THE toxic waste dump on the former Irish Steel plant in Haulbowline, Co Cork, poses no identifiable threat to local residents, Government-appointed consultants have found.
The main finding of their report, seen by the Irish Examiner, states: “Based on the monitoring works completed, it is concluded that there are no identified risks to the residential inhabitants of Cork harbour associated with the presence of waste materials at the East Tip on Haulbowline Island.”
The consultants, White Young Green, found toxins such as chromium in and around the waste dump, known as the East Tip, but not at levels considered dangerous to humans.
However, they said that chromium in mussels found around Haulbowline exceeded recommended limits, but the cause could not be identified. They recommended that this issue be further investigated.
The consultants also warned that recent excavations on the East Tip had exposed sludge material which could form dust in dry weather periods and therefore pose a future airborne threat.
Although fenced off, the excavations posed a health and safety risk and the consultants recommended that they be backfilled.
The consultants found potentially dangerous levels of toxins in the harbour which they did not believe emanated from the East Tip of the former Irish Steel plant.
Elevated concentrations of mercury, arsenic and nickel were found in water samples taken from the harbour, while high levels of lead were found in mussels.
Slightly elevated concentrations of heavy metals were also detected “intermittently” on a section of the naval base, which forms part of Haulbowline Island, but again, the East Tip was not considered the source.
The consultants recommended that further assessment be carried out in the harbour to assess the scale of both these problems.
They also recommended that the entire steel plant site be investigated, as they had been commissioned only to examine the East Tip.
“This environmental investigation... did not include or address the rest of the former Irish Steel site,” the report says.
“The remaining areas of the steelworks site will need to be investigated and assessed as a separate investigation to quantify the potential for contamination from historic site operations and underground structures.”
Environment Minister John Gormley appointed White Young Green in June to carry out a risk assessment of the site after the Irish Examiner revealed the amount of toxic waste on the East Tip was much higher than previously believed. The report, and a peer review of it conducted by British experts, will be published today.
Mr Gormley is expected to bring a paper to cabinet early in the new year outlining the options for dealing with the site. He has pledged to consult with the community on the issue.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
The main finding of their report, seen by the Irish Examiner, states: “Based on the monitoring works completed, it is concluded that there are no identified risks to the residential inhabitants of Cork harbour associated with the presence of waste materials at the East Tip on Haulbowline Island.”
The consultants, White Young Green, found toxins such as chromium in and around the waste dump, known as the East Tip, but not at levels considered dangerous to humans.
However, they said that chromium in mussels found around Haulbowline exceeded recommended limits, but the cause could not be identified. They recommended that this issue be further investigated.
The consultants also warned that recent excavations on the East Tip had exposed sludge material which could form dust in dry weather periods and therefore pose a future airborne threat.
Although fenced off, the excavations posed a health and safety risk and the consultants recommended that they be backfilled.
The consultants found potentially dangerous levels of toxins in the harbour which they did not believe emanated from the East Tip of the former Irish Steel plant.
Elevated concentrations of mercury, arsenic and nickel were found in water samples taken from the harbour, while high levels of lead were found in mussels.
Slightly elevated concentrations of heavy metals were also detected “intermittently” on a section of the naval base, which forms part of Haulbowline Island, but again, the East Tip was not considered the source.
The consultants recommended that further assessment be carried out in the harbour to assess the scale of both these problems.
They also recommended that the entire steel plant site be investigated, as they had been commissioned only to examine the East Tip.
“This environmental investigation... did not include or address the rest of the former Irish Steel site,” the report says.
“The remaining areas of the steelworks site will need to be investigated and assessed as a separate investigation to quantify the potential for contamination from historic site operations and underground structures.”
Environment Minister John Gormley appointed White Young Green in June to carry out a risk assessment of the site after the Irish Examiner revealed the amount of toxic waste on the East Tip was much higher than previously believed. The report, and a peer review of it conducted by British experts, will be published today.
Mr Gormley is expected to bring a paper to cabinet early in the new year outlining the options for dealing with the site. He has pledged to consult with the community on the issue.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Report shows Haulbowline site is safe
The investigation into the dangers posed by waste material from the former Irish Ispat plant at Haulbowline in Cork Harbour has concluded there is no risk to local residents.
The report, which was published by the Minister for the Environment John Gormley this morning, was compiled by environmental consultants White Young Green.
The assessment involved analysis of soil, slag, dust, surface and ground water samples for all likely contaminants, including Chromium VI, to determine whether there was a threat to human health or the environment.
In July, the Government was accused of a cover-up concerning the extent of waste at the site after it was disclosed that an estimated 500,000 tonnes of waste material had been buried at the former steel plant which closed in 2001.
A report on the environmental impact of pollution on the neighbouring Naval Service base at Haulbowline, which was released in September, also concluded that there was no unacceptable risk to health.
Mr Gormley today reiterated his commitment to dealing with the legacy issue of waste at the Haulbowline site and said he would be bringing a report to Government early in the New Year for decisions on what actions, if any, should be taken.
Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment, which represents local residents, welcomed the publication of the report and called on the Government to ensure that funding is made available to make the site safe.
Fine Gael said that while the report had concluded that there was no identifiable threat to residents, it was clear that the site is still toxic and that the marine ecosystem in the harbour continues to be adversely affected by
toxic waste material.
"The report confirms that toxic material remains on the site and calls for further investigation of the site and of the harbour more generally. Ultimately, there is only one solution to this problem, and that is the removal of all toxic material," said Simon Coveney, Fine Gael TD for Cork South Central.
“This is an unlicensed, unregulated, toxic dump without planning permission on a porous site in the middle of Cork Harbour. It should be removed over a phased period in a responsible manner,” he added.
Sinn Féin's environment spokesman Martin Ferris questioned whether the report had fully addressed residents' concerns.
“There have been a number of reports over the years, which have taken a long time to emerge and there are still doubts with regard to whether all the facts and previous findings are in the public domain. Not to mention the unresolved issue of why the prevalence of cancer in the area is so much higher than the national average,” he said. "I would therefore call on Minister Gormley to publish or republish all previous reports on the site along with the current report."
Elsewhere, the Labour Party said the study was limited due to the fact that it focussed on one part of Haulbowline Island and did not address the rest of the site.
"The people of the Cork Harbour area have been living under the cloud cast by this site for years, particularly in the last six months. They now require assurances from John Gormley that the problem will be sorted out once and for all," said Ciaran Lynch Labour Party TD, Cork South Central.
Irishtimes.com
www.buckplanning.ie
The report, which was published by the Minister for the Environment John Gormley this morning, was compiled by environmental consultants White Young Green.
The assessment involved analysis of soil, slag, dust, surface and ground water samples for all likely contaminants, including Chromium VI, to determine whether there was a threat to human health or the environment.
In July, the Government was accused of a cover-up concerning the extent of waste at the site after it was disclosed that an estimated 500,000 tonnes of waste material had been buried at the former steel plant which closed in 2001.
A report on the environmental impact of pollution on the neighbouring Naval Service base at Haulbowline, which was released in September, also concluded that there was no unacceptable risk to health.
Mr Gormley today reiterated his commitment to dealing with the legacy issue of waste at the Haulbowline site and said he would be bringing a report to Government early in the New Year for decisions on what actions, if any, should be taken.
Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment, which represents local residents, welcomed the publication of the report and called on the Government to ensure that funding is made available to make the site safe.
Fine Gael said that while the report had concluded that there was no identifiable threat to residents, it was clear that the site is still toxic and that the marine ecosystem in the harbour continues to be adversely affected by
toxic waste material.
"The report confirms that toxic material remains on the site and calls for further investigation of the site and of the harbour more generally. Ultimately, there is only one solution to this problem, and that is the removal of all toxic material," said Simon Coveney, Fine Gael TD for Cork South Central.
“This is an unlicensed, unregulated, toxic dump without planning permission on a porous site in the middle of Cork Harbour. It should be removed over a phased period in a responsible manner,” he added.
Sinn Féin's environment spokesman Martin Ferris questioned whether the report had fully addressed residents' concerns.
“There have been a number of reports over the years, which have taken a long time to emerge and there are still doubts with regard to whether all the facts and previous findings are in the public domain. Not to mention the unresolved issue of why the prevalence of cancer in the area is so much higher than the national average,” he said. "I would therefore call on Minister Gormley to publish or republish all previous reports on the site along with the current report."
Elsewhere, the Labour Party said the study was limited due to the fact that it focussed on one part of Haulbowline Island and did not address the rest of the site.
"The people of the Cork Harbour area have been living under the cloud cast by this site for years, particularly in the last six months. They now require assurances from John Gormley that the problem will be sorted out once and for all," said Ciaran Lynch Labour Party TD, Cork South Central.
Irishtimes.com
www.buckplanning.ie
Wednesday, 26 November 2008
Dump reports to be released
TWO reports on a major toxic dump in Cork harbour are due to be released shortly by the Department of the Environment.
The mayor of Cobh, Cllr John Mulvihill, said he had been informed by sources within the department that the reports would be made public early next week.
However, when the Irish Examiner contacted the Department of the Environment, a spokesman said the reports were being finalised and he hoped they would be released very soon.
He was unable to confirm a publication date.
One of the reports has been compiled by consultants who were brought in last summer to analyse the contents of the dump at Haulbowline, which is believed to have contained some highly carcinogenic material.
The other is a ‘peer review’ of the report carried out by a group of experts in Britain.
Cllr Mulvihill said that consultants White Young Green have finished their report on the site and the peer review process has been completed.
Minister for the Environment John Gormley confirmed at a meeting with public representatives in Cobh last September that he was willing to publish the reports’ findings.
“As mayor of Cobh I am anxious that the public are made fully aware of the reports’ contents. It is also vital that the minister formulates a plan to deal with the clean up of the site,” Cllr Mulvihill said.
“I am conscious that we are currently in a tough economic climate, but the issue of the cost of the clean up can only be secondary to the health of the people of Cobh and the lower harbour.”
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
The mayor of Cobh, Cllr John Mulvihill, said he had been informed by sources within the department that the reports would be made public early next week.
However, when the Irish Examiner contacted the Department of the Environment, a spokesman said the reports were being finalised and he hoped they would be released very soon.
He was unable to confirm a publication date.
One of the reports has been compiled by consultants who were brought in last summer to analyse the contents of the dump at Haulbowline, which is believed to have contained some highly carcinogenic material.
The other is a ‘peer review’ of the report carried out by a group of experts in Britain.
Cllr Mulvihill said that consultants White Young Green have finished their report on the site and the peer review process has been completed.
Minister for the Environment John Gormley confirmed at a meeting with public representatives in Cobh last September that he was willing to publish the reports’ findings.
“As mayor of Cobh I am anxious that the public are made fully aware of the reports’ contents. It is also vital that the minister formulates a plan to deal with the clean up of the site,” Cllr Mulvihill said.
“I am conscious that we are currently in a tough economic climate, but the issue of the cost of the clean up can only be secondary to the health of the people of Cobh and the lower harbour.”
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Saturday, 22 November 2008
Haulbowline toxic clean-up costs taxpayer €42m
TAXPAYERS forked out more than €42 million on the controversial Haulbowline clean-up operation when toxic waste was buried instead of removed.
The hazardous waste, which was covered up during the costly operation at the start of the year, is likely to cost the State up to €300m to dispose of.
The clean-up operation was suspended in June, when the Irish Examiner revealed that the sub-contractors carrying out the work were told by the Department of the Environment to “cap” the lagoons containing the toxic material at the former Irish Steel plant, rather than remove it.
Figures from the department show that the work cost €42m. “Further costs of approximately €1.1m will arise in 2008 in respect of ongoing management of the site, including in regard to site staff, security, utilities and small trade and service contracts,” said Environment Minister John Gormley in a written response to a Dáil question.
The Government spent a further €300,000 on independent consultants or experts to carry out investigations on the site to determine what risk it posed to human health.
“This comprises costs associated with sampling, analysis, topographical and foreshore ecological surveys, project management and professional fees for the three distinct modules of work, ie air, marine and site investigation and assessment,” said Mr Gormley.
“It is anticipated that an additional amount of approximately €50,000 will be expended, including the costs associated with a peer review, by the time all the current investigations and reports are finalised,” he added.
A report being carried out for the department on the toxic threat of the site is now three months overdue.
Fine Gael Cork East TD, David Stanton, who tabled the Dáil question, said the cost is particularly worrying because the minister has still not made any plans for the future use of the site.
“I am very concerned about what is going on in Haulbowline.
“The cost of site investigations and clean-up costs have been massive but still no decision has been taken on the preferred use of the site and necessary future works,” he said.
“In 2004, the minister estimated that surveys and remediation of the Irish ISPAT site would cost approximately €30m. Expenditure has now far surpassed that.
“To make matters worse the minister has advised that he cannot quantify future costs without determining the future use of the site.
“He should make public his intentions for the site immediately,” said Mr Stanton.
Following the publication of the Haulbowline report, Mr Gormley will bring proposals to the cabinet on what should be done with the site.
It is expected it will be cleaned up, at an estimated cost of €300m, and used as a public amenity.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
The hazardous waste, which was covered up during the costly operation at the start of the year, is likely to cost the State up to €300m to dispose of.
The clean-up operation was suspended in June, when the Irish Examiner revealed that the sub-contractors carrying out the work were told by the Department of the Environment to “cap” the lagoons containing the toxic material at the former Irish Steel plant, rather than remove it.
Figures from the department show that the work cost €42m. “Further costs of approximately €1.1m will arise in 2008 in respect of ongoing management of the site, including in regard to site staff, security, utilities and small trade and service contracts,” said Environment Minister John Gormley in a written response to a Dáil question.
The Government spent a further €300,000 on independent consultants or experts to carry out investigations on the site to determine what risk it posed to human health.
“This comprises costs associated with sampling, analysis, topographical and foreshore ecological surveys, project management and professional fees for the three distinct modules of work, ie air, marine and site investigation and assessment,” said Mr Gormley.
“It is anticipated that an additional amount of approximately €50,000 will be expended, including the costs associated with a peer review, by the time all the current investigations and reports are finalised,” he added.
A report being carried out for the department on the toxic threat of the site is now three months overdue.
Fine Gael Cork East TD, David Stanton, who tabled the Dáil question, said the cost is particularly worrying because the minister has still not made any plans for the future use of the site.
“I am very concerned about what is going on in Haulbowline.
“The cost of site investigations and clean-up costs have been massive but still no decision has been taken on the preferred use of the site and necessary future works,” he said.
“In 2004, the minister estimated that surveys and remediation of the Irish ISPAT site would cost approximately €30m. Expenditure has now far surpassed that.
“To make matters worse the minister has advised that he cannot quantify future costs without determining the future use of the site.
“He should make public his intentions for the site immediately,” said Mr Stanton.
Following the publication of the Haulbowline report, Mr Gormley will bring proposals to the cabinet on what should be done with the site.
It is expected it will be cleaned up, at an estimated cost of €300m, and used as a public amenity.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Saturday, 1 November 2008
Toxic waste dump ‘no threat to public’
EXPERTS have made several recommendations to reduce the risk from vast quantities of toxic waste dumped close to the Irish naval headquarters in Cork Harbour.
However, the toxic materials at the former Irish Steel plant do not pose an immediate risk to naval or civilian staff based at Haulbowline, a report has found.
The Environmental Health and Safety report was carried out by RPS Engineers on behalf of the Department of Defence. It was ordered after the Irish Examiner revealed in July the full extent of the environmental disaster on the former steelworks site alongside the naval base.
Up to 500,000 tonnes of toxic waste are dumped on the site, which was described by experts as one of the country’s worst environmental disasters. Most of it is piled in an area known as the “east tip”.
RPS conducted soil and air tests at various locations at the naval base and around the steelworks site.
Their report, seen by the Irish Examiner, says elevated levels of potentially hazardous substances were recorded in some areas, in particular the north-east of the naval dockyard and close to the chapel.
“The concentrations are not sufficient to present an unacceptable risk to site personnel considering the low likelihood of exposure in these areas,” the report reads. But as a precautionary measure, further investigations are being undertaken.
Tests to establish the risk to staff from wind-blown dust found that there were no breaches of Heath and Safety Authority limits.
However, the report did state that the levels of airborne dust could increase after an extended dry period, followed by an easterly wind, and if waste material is excavated.
Dust samples at each of eight test locations were well below the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) daily concentration limit. Just one single high result was recorded, and it was still below the World Health Organisation guideline. All other results were considered moderate.
However, the report did say that dust levels could have been higher had it not been for record rainfall in August — 183% higher than the 30-year average at Cork Airport.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
However, the toxic materials at the former Irish Steel plant do not pose an immediate risk to naval or civilian staff based at Haulbowline, a report has found.
The Environmental Health and Safety report was carried out by RPS Engineers on behalf of the Department of Defence. It was ordered after the Irish Examiner revealed in July the full extent of the environmental disaster on the former steelworks site alongside the naval base.
Up to 500,000 tonnes of toxic waste are dumped on the site, which was described by experts as one of the country’s worst environmental disasters. Most of it is piled in an area known as the “east tip”.
RPS conducted soil and air tests at various locations at the naval base and around the steelworks site.
Their report, seen by the Irish Examiner, says elevated levels of potentially hazardous substances were recorded in some areas, in particular the north-east of the naval dockyard and close to the chapel.
“The concentrations are not sufficient to present an unacceptable risk to site personnel considering the low likelihood of exposure in these areas,” the report reads. But as a precautionary measure, further investigations are being undertaken.
Tests to establish the risk to staff from wind-blown dust found that there were no breaches of Heath and Safety Authority limits.
However, the report did state that the levels of airborne dust could increase after an extended dry period, followed by an easterly wind, and if waste material is excavated.
Dust samples at each of eight test locations were well below the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) daily concentration limit. Just one single high result was recorded, and it was still below the World Health Organisation guideline. All other results were considered moderate.
However, the report did say that dust levels could have been higher had it not been for record rainfall in August — 183% higher than the 30-year average at Cork Airport.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Thursday, 9 October 2008
Harbour toxic dump final report delayed
A department spokesman said the report had been due to be released last month but was being withheld as it was being reviewed by environmental experts in Britain.
He made the comments after Fine Gael’s Simon Coveney claimed the department was stalling on releasing the final report into the toxic waste.
The waste included highly carcinogenic material that was discovered at a site in Haulbowline last summer.
“We were initially promised the new site assessment would be completed in August,” said Mr Coveney. “It is now October and people are still none the wiser as to the toxicity of the site.
“People living and working in close proximity to Haulbowline have shown great restraint considering the likely tonnage of toxic waste at the site.”
The Cork South Central TD said he was concerned the delay in issuing the report could lead to excuses next week, post-budget, that money was not there to clean up the site.
“If there is a threat posed by toxic waste on a tidal site then the Government has a responsibility to act immediately and provide the funding necessary to protect people’s health,” Mr Coveney said.
He said the report should be published without delay, and before the budget.
The department spokes-man said Environment Minister John Gormley had arranged for the ongoing site assessment works, and the 2005 White Young Green report, to be reviewed by independent experts in order to offer reassurance to local communities that the scope of works, tests and analysis employed conform to best international practice in determining whether there exists any immediate health or environmental threat posed by the site.
“Professor Phillip Morgan of Sirius Geotechnical & Environmental and Dr Marcus Trett from Physalia Limited, Consultant & Forensic Ecologists have been appointed to carry out the peer review,” the department spokesman said.
He added that both the White Young Green and the peer review reports will be made available to the public once the minister and the department’s experts have examined them.
The spokesman added that experts in England were examining the reports following a request made by locals at a meeting in Cobh last month that was attended by Mr Gormley.
“Any recommendations arising out of these reports will inform the minister’s proposals to Government in respect of the future use of the site,” the spokesman said.
The assessment being carried out comprises testing the quality of surface water on the site, examining marine sediment and mussel bivalves in the vicinity, air monitoring and any health or environmental risks posed by recent works.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
He made the comments after Fine Gael’s Simon Coveney claimed the department was stalling on releasing the final report into the toxic waste.
The waste included highly carcinogenic material that was discovered at a site in Haulbowline last summer.
“We were initially promised the new site assessment would be completed in August,” said Mr Coveney. “It is now October and people are still none the wiser as to the toxicity of the site.
“People living and working in close proximity to Haulbowline have shown great restraint considering the likely tonnage of toxic waste at the site.”
The Cork South Central TD said he was concerned the delay in issuing the report could lead to excuses next week, post-budget, that money was not there to clean up the site.
“If there is a threat posed by toxic waste on a tidal site then the Government has a responsibility to act immediately and provide the funding necessary to protect people’s health,” Mr Coveney said.
He said the report should be published without delay, and before the budget.
The department spokes-man said Environment Minister John Gormley had arranged for the ongoing site assessment works, and the 2005 White Young Green report, to be reviewed by independent experts in order to offer reassurance to local communities that the scope of works, tests and analysis employed conform to best international practice in determining whether there exists any immediate health or environmental threat posed by the site.
“Professor Phillip Morgan of Sirius Geotechnical & Environmental and Dr Marcus Trett from Physalia Limited, Consultant & Forensic Ecologists have been appointed to carry out the peer review,” the department spokesman said.
He added that both the White Young Green and the peer review reports will be made available to the public once the minister and the department’s experts have examined them.
The spokesman added that experts in England were examining the reports following a request made by locals at a meeting in Cobh last month that was attended by Mr Gormley.
“Any recommendations arising out of these reports will inform the minister’s proposals to Government in respect of the future use of the site,” the spokesman said.
The assessment being carried out comprises testing the quality of surface water on the site, examining marine sediment and mussel bivalves in the vicinity, air monitoring and any health or environmental risks posed by recent works.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 14 September 2008
Initial Cork waste tests show no public threat
PRELIMINARY RESULTS of an investigation into waste material from the former Irish Ispat plant at Haulbowline suggest the waste does not pose any major threat to public health, the Minister for the Environment said yesterday.
John Gormley stressed that consultants White Young Green (WYG) are still awaiting some test results from samples taken at the the former plant, but all indications so far suggest there is no cause for alarm regarding the waste being harmful to residents of the Cork harbour area.
“It would appear at this stage that there is no real cause for concern but I hasten to add, and this comes with a health warning, the report itself has not been completed yet and it has not been peer reviewed so those are the caveats,” said Mr Gormley.
Mr Gormley was speaking during a visit to Cobh Town Council where he briefed local public representatives amid concerns the former steel plant which closed in 2001 may contain more hazardous materials than previously thought.
Mr Gormley was accompanied by White Young Green director Kevin Cleary who addressed concerns regarding reports that waste at slag heaps at the East Tip part of the island contains cancer causing materials Chromium 6 and Caesium 137.
Mr Cleary said extensive testing had found no significant levels of Chromium 6 while the investigation had found no trace of any radioactive material including Caesium 137.
Mr Cleary said the analysis had focused on the East Tip area of the former steel plant as that was where waste was deposited.
“We looked at open areas focusing primarily on the East Tip. though we have taken background measurements from elsewhere on the site, and there is a portion of the East Tip that contains hazardous material but the vast majority of it is non-hazardous.
“The hazardous material has oil components, there are some heavy metals but the total chromium levels are low in it. We’ve found one or two low levels of leachate from samples of Chromium 6 in relation to sludge material but that’s a very localised sporadic issue.”
Mr Cleary said they had also checked out reports of radioactive material being dumped on the site. The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland provided certificates showing the material had been removed and properly disposed of.
Mr Gormley said he hoped to receive the completed report from WYG by the end of the month and it would then be peer reviewed before he would bring proposals to Cabinet regarding the site to ensure that it does not pose any health threat.
Yesterday’s meeting was marked by an angry exchange with Cllr John Mulvihill Snr of Labour who branded Mr Gormley “a disgrace” for failing to meet local public representatives in June before calling on him to commission a baseline health study of the harbour area. Mr Gormley said he envisaged holding discussions with the Department of Health and HSE with a view to carrying out some health study when he brings proposals to Cabinet.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
John Gormley stressed that consultants White Young Green (WYG) are still awaiting some test results from samples taken at the the former plant, but all indications so far suggest there is no cause for alarm regarding the waste being harmful to residents of the Cork harbour area.
“It would appear at this stage that there is no real cause for concern but I hasten to add, and this comes with a health warning, the report itself has not been completed yet and it has not been peer reviewed so those are the caveats,” said Mr Gormley.
Mr Gormley was speaking during a visit to Cobh Town Council where he briefed local public representatives amid concerns the former steel plant which closed in 2001 may contain more hazardous materials than previously thought.
Mr Gormley was accompanied by White Young Green director Kevin Cleary who addressed concerns regarding reports that waste at slag heaps at the East Tip part of the island contains cancer causing materials Chromium 6 and Caesium 137.
Mr Cleary said extensive testing had found no significant levels of Chromium 6 while the investigation had found no trace of any radioactive material including Caesium 137.
Mr Cleary said the analysis had focused on the East Tip area of the former steel plant as that was where waste was deposited.
“We looked at open areas focusing primarily on the East Tip. though we have taken background measurements from elsewhere on the site, and there is a portion of the East Tip that contains hazardous material but the vast majority of it is non-hazardous.
“The hazardous material has oil components, there are some heavy metals but the total chromium levels are low in it. We’ve found one or two low levels of leachate from samples of Chromium 6 in relation to sludge material but that’s a very localised sporadic issue.”
Mr Cleary said they had also checked out reports of radioactive material being dumped on the site. The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland provided certificates showing the material had been removed and properly disposed of.
Mr Gormley said he hoped to receive the completed report from WYG by the end of the month and it would then be peer reviewed before he would bring proposals to Cabinet regarding the site to ensure that it does not pose any health threat.
Yesterday’s meeting was marked by an angry exchange with Cllr John Mulvihill Snr of Labour who branded Mr Gormley “a disgrace” for failing to meet local public representatives in June before calling on him to commission a baseline health study of the harbour area. Mr Gormley said he envisaged holding discussions with the Department of Health and HSE with a view to carrying out some health study when he brings proposals to Cabinet.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Friday, 12 September 2008
No toxic threat to Navy from steel site, says report
A GOVERNMENT report has revealed that toxic waste at the former Irish Steel site does not pose an unacceptable risk to personnel at the nearby Naval Service base.
The findings came as Defence Minister Willie O'Dea said he hoped the report, by independent consultants RPS, would ease any health concerns amongst Navy personnel.
The report's findings were confirmed 24 hours before Environment Minister John Gormley visits Cobh today where he will meet harbour communities concerned about the claims surrounding toxic waste on Haulbowline Island.
Last July it was claimed that 500,000 tons of toxic waste now lie on the island with one former worker describing the contamination as so bad "it's like a mini-Chernobyl". Among the toxins discovered were lead, mercury and Chromium 6. The latter is one of the most dangerous carcinogens.
Reassuring
But yesterday Mr O'Dea insisted Navy personnel who share Haulbowline Island with the former Irish Steel-Irish Ispat site had no need to worry.
"There were 42 soil samples taken and the air was tested in eight different locations. The gist of the report, as I understand it, is that there is no unacceptable risk," the Limerick TD said. "My officials just got the report yesterday, I haven't had a chance to read it myself yet.
"I hope that what has been found by these independent consultants will be reassuring to the staff here in the Naval base in Haulbowline," he added.
"The main thing I want to tell you is that the report found no unacceptable level of risk. That is the language typically used by organisations like that -- nobody says there is absolutely no risk."
Meanwhile, Mr Gormley visits Cobh today after Cork county councillors passed a motion of no confidence in his handling of the Haulbowline toxic waste controversy.
Ralph Riegel
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
The findings came as Defence Minister Willie O'Dea said he hoped the report, by independent consultants RPS, would ease any health concerns amongst Navy personnel.
The report's findings were confirmed 24 hours before Environment Minister John Gormley visits Cobh today where he will meet harbour communities concerned about the claims surrounding toxic waste on Haulbowline Island.
Last July it was claimed that 500,000 tons of toxic waste now lie on the island with one former worker describing the contamination as so bad "it's like a mini-Chernobyl". Among the toxins discovered were lead, mercury and Chromium 6. The latter is one of the most dangerous carcinogens.
Reassuring
But yesterday Mr O'Dea insisted Navy personnel who share Haulbowline Island with the former Irish Steel-Irish Ispat site had no need to worry.
"There were 42 soil samples taken and the air was tested in eight different locations. The gist of the report, as I understand it, is that there is no unacceptable risk," the Limerick TD said. "My officials just got the report yesterday, I haven't had a chance to read it myself yet.
"I hope that what has been found by these independent consultants will be reassuring to the staff here in the Naval base in Haulbowline," he added.
"The main thing I want to tell you is that the report found no unacceptable level of risk. That is the language typically used by organisations like that -- nobody says there is absolutely no risk."
Meanwhile, Mr Gormley visits Cobh today after Cork county councillors passed a motion of no confidence in his handling of the Haulbowline toxic waste controversy.
Ralph Riegel
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Report shows Haulbowline site is safe - Gormley
Minister for the Environment John Gormley has released preliminary results of a study into hazardous waste at the former Irish Steel plan in Haulbowline, Co Cork which show it does not appear to pose a threat to public health.
Mr Gormley stressed that the report by consultants White Young Green was still to be fully completed and they were still awaiting some test results but all the indications so far suggest the site does not pose a major health risk.
Mr Gormley defended his record on the controversy during an exchange at Cobh Town Council Chambers with former Labour East TD Cllr John Mulvahill Senior, who said Mr Gormley’s handling of the controversy was “a disgrace” because of his failure to meet public reps last June
White Young Green director Kevin Cleary said initial test results taken at various locations around the Haulbowline site did not show any levels of Chromium 6 following fears that the carcinogen had been uncovered on the site.
Mr Gormley said he was awaiting the completion of the full report from White Young Green later this month before presenting it to cabinet where he was keen to seek support for a clean-up and remediation of the former steel plant which closed in 2001
Minister for Defence Willie O’Dea said yesterday a report on the environmental impact of pollution on the neighbouring Naval Service base at Haulbowline had found that there is “no unacceptable risk” to health.
Mr O’Dea confirmed his department had received a report from consultants RPS on Wednesday and while his officials were still studying it in detail, the main finding was that there is no significant risk to the health of staff at the naval base.
Last July, as details emerged of a possible high level of heavy metal pollutants in slagheaps at the plant, the Naval Service closed off a football pitch used by sailors near the former Irish Steel plant.
Irishtimes.com
www.buckplanning.ie
Mr Gormley stressed that the report by consultants White Young Green was still to be fully completed and they were still awaiting some test results but all the indications so far suggest the site does not pose a major health risk.
Mr Gormley defended his record on the controversy during an exchange at Cobh Town Council Chambers with former Labour East TD Cllr John Mulvahill Senior, who said Mr Gormley’s handling of the controversy was “a disgrace” because of his failure to meet public reps last June
White Young Green director Kevin Cleary said initial test results taken at various locations around the Haulbowline site did not show any levels of Chromium 6 following fears that the carcinogen had been uncovered on the site.
Mr Gormley said he was awaiting the completion of the full report from White Young Green later this month before presenting it to cabinet where he was keen to seek support for a clean-up and remediation of the former steel plant which closed in 2001
Minister for Defence Willie O’Dea said yesterday a report on the environmental impact of pollution on the neighbouring Naval Service base at Haulbowline had found that there is “no unacceptable risk” to health.
Mr O’Dea confirmed his department had received a report from consultants RPS on Wednesday and while his officials were still studying it in detail, the main finding was that there is no significant risk to the health of staff at the naval base.
Last July, as details emerged of a possible high level of heavy metal pollutants in slagheaps at the plant, the Naval Service closed off a football pitch used by sailors near the former Irish Steel plant.
Irishtimes.com
www.buckplanning.ie
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