River life ‘destroyed’ by massive slurry spill

THOUSANDS of fish could be wiped out after an estimated spill of 20,000 gallons of slurry into a river — running through a wildlife sanctuary — on the outskirts of Cork city.

County council officials and fisheries inspectors were conducting a full-scale investigation after the slurry allegedly leaked, possibly early yesterday, into the River Blarney, an important tributary of the River Lee.

Initial inquiries suggest the spill originated at a farm in the Whitechurch area and affected an almost eight-mile stretch of river.

It created a thick white foam on the river surface and turned a waterfall in the area bright orange.

The river is an important spawning ground for trout and is also an important habitat for filter-feeders like freshwater sponges and crayfish.

Wildlife expert Tom O’Byrne, who owns a wildlife sanctuary in Monard Glen, near Blarney, said all river life had been destroyed.

“This was a profound spillage,” he said. “There had been a number of pollution spills in recent years. But this was one of the biggest incidents.”

It also affected the River Shournagh, the River Martin and parts of the River Lee later in the afternoon.

“It points to a huge concentration of pollution,” said Mr O’Byrne. The river was calm which added to the problem. If it had been running fast, it would have flushed it out.” Mr O’Byrne said.

He said it was feared that a major restocking operation in all three rivers may have to be carried out.

A spokeswoman for the South Western Fisheries Board said inspectors had visited the scene and that they were taking the incident very seriously.

She said it was not possible to say at this stage how many fish had been killed by the pollution.

Cork County Council also sent officials to monitor the rivers affected.

A council spokeswoman said it was believed that between 15,000 and 20,000 gallons of slurry had escaped after a tank leaked on “an outside farm” in the Whitechurch area early yesterday.

“The flow from the tank has been stopped and we are now monitoring the situation downstream. It is hoped that the cold weather and dilution may reduce the impact on water life but the full extent of the damage will not be known for a day or two,” the council spokeswoman said.

She added that they had also been in contact with Cork City Council to monitor pollution which may arise around the River Lee waterworks, adjacent to the Lee Road.