Irish Examiner - Friday, July 22, 2005
Truth about spillage could have been diluted

Can EPA be sure about accident despite delay in getting to the site, writes Political Reporter Mary Dundon. HOW can the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) seriously assure the people of Cork Harbour that the latest spillage of 252 tonnes of caustic soda into the sea had no impact on their health?

Inspectors from the State’s environmental watchdog did not arrive on scene for 36 hours after the accident occurred.

Instead, the EPA took the readings the company produced of the amount of caustic soda that was leaked from a ship at face value.

ADM Ringaskiddy told the EPA that 252 tonnes of caustic waste escaped into the harbour in the early hours of Sunday, July 3, and our environmental watchdog believed them.

We are not saying that is not the exact amount - but without independent verification, the EPA cannot assure the public this is how much caustic soda escaped.

An EPA senior inspector, Peter Cunningham, also had the audacity to tell the concerned Ringaskiddy residents yesterday that the company’s own emergency operation kicked into place and the spillage was cleaned up as quickly as possible.

How do you know, Mr Cunningham, if you were not there?

Mr Cunningham said the company told the EPA they found “elevated levels of pH” - the parameter for measuring acidity - in the vicinity of the ship, but the material was gone essentially within 12 hours.

Mr Cunningham, how do you know this is the case if your inspector did not arrive on the scene until 24 hours later?

The EPA senior inspector went on to tell us that they were “quite happy with the company’s response” to the spillage in the immediate aftermath and that was why they did not visit the site until the following day.

He admitted that certainly fish and other marine flora and fauna in the vicinity of the spill could have been killed when the concentrations were high enough to have an impact.

The big problem is that we have no independent analysis of how fast this caustic soda was diluted into the water - only the company records and the EPA tests that were carried out 24 hours after the material was essentially gone from the area.

Independent environmental scientist, Carmel Cronin, confirmed yesterday that 252 tonnes of caustic soda can kill fish, burn people swimming, damage fauna and marine life and burn holes in boards if it is not diluted quickly in water.

We have no independent analysis of how quickly this caustic soda was diluted in Cork Harbour and the Ringaskiddy residents are right to be shocked and appalled.

There is no way of knowing if their children were swimming in this contaminated water, if people sailing around the corner in Monkstown were affected or if they ate fish that was contaminated by this leak.

And the Ringaskiddy residents are equally right to demand that they should have been informed about this spillage by the EPA - it is a public health issue. This sorry tale throws further doubt over the EPA’s already questioned role as protector of the environment and public health.

Why did the people of Cork harbour need to depend on a whistle blower to find out about this spillage? Is there not a legal obligation on the EPA to inform them?

There were no official answers from State agencies to these fundamental questions yesterday.

But one thing was clear: this incident shows the absolute need for an Environmental Ombudsman to be set up who will process complaints about the operation of the EPA.

This is the only way Environment Minister Dick Roche can assure the people of Ireland that big business does not take precedent over environmental protection and public health.