Kean seeks answers for site workers
The high-flying solicitor who represents rock stars and Premiership footballers was speaking after meeting a dozen of the workers in an hotel in Mallow, Co Cork.
Mr Kean said they told him they are very concerned for their health and are very hurt by the way they have been treated. They deserve answers, he said.
Mr Kean said one or two of the men, who shifted hundreds of tonnes of contaminated soil while working on the former Irish Steel works site for eight months, have been to their doctors with skin disorders.
“But the doctors can’t help them until they know what materials they were dealing with and the men can’t get those answers,” Mr Kean said.
“They need to know what was in the ground, what were they moving and what effect it will that have on them.
“This is not about claims at this moment in time,” he said. “These young men are looking for a spokesman to get some answers.”
Mr Kean said he has decided to help them out of his own “free time and will”. He plans to arrange health screens for the men with a consultant who specialises in skin disorders, cancer, blood and kidney disorders.
He also said he will try to ascertain from the Government the results of any environmental tests conducted on the site.
“If they are not conclusive, I will try to get some tests done immediately. We need a conclusive report as soon as possible. This is not about setting up committees or tribunals,” he said.
“All we need to do is to get an expert to carry out the test, and let these young men know what they are dealing with.”
The Irish Examiner revealed last week that traces of the carcinogen chromium 6, lead and mercury are among an estimated 500,000 tonnes of toxic waste buried on the island’s East Tip site.
At least 40 men worked on the stalled surface clean-up and were exposed to thousands of tonnes of contaminated material. They claim they worked wearing flimsy overalls and paper face masks.
The Environment Minister John Gormley has asked consultants White Young Green to assess the impact of the clean-up operation on the site. They are expected to report back in five weeks. They also prepared a detailed report for Cork County Council in 2005 on the site but it was never made public.
Meanwhile, EU legislation which could pave the way for immediate action on the toxic waste dump has not been activated by the Government over one year after it was scheduled to be implemented.
Yesterday, a “request for action” on the directive was filed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by environmental watchdog, Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE), who claim The European Environmental Liability Directive could allay the fears of people living near Haulbowline.
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