Minister insists there is no health hazard

TOXIC waste dumped on a former steelworks site in Cork harbour does not pose a public health risk, Environment Minister John Gormley said yesterday.

Mr Gormley made his comments despite admitting his department is not aware of the full extent of the problem on Haulbowline Island.

He said two officials are on site full time and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is monitoring the situation along with his own department officials.

The site is in a safe condition, he said: “I have been assured that the highest environmental standards are being applied and that people will not have been exposed to any risk.

“People are living in an area free of risk and there is no health hazard... I want to assure them that we are doing everything we can to ensure the site is safe.”

Mr Gormley also defended his department’s decision to stop the clean-up of the site. He said as soon as the contractor working on the site began to dig down and expose more hazardous materials, he was asked to stop.

“In the view of the department and the EPA, they felt the work the sub-contractor was doing was counter-productive,” he said.

Mr Gormley said his department is now involved in a contractual dispute with the contractors.

“There are large sums of money involved, and it will end up in the courts.

“As far as I am concerned, I would like to see full remediation,” he said.

But he admitted that it would be very costly. Estimates have been put at close to €300 million.

Mr Gormley said the media is being used to “get leverage” in what has become a contractual dispute.

“This is going to enter the courts. I think if you looked at the Examiner, the people reading those pages would be very fearful indeed.”