Health study on Haulbowline impact ruled out
Health Minister Mary Harney has ruled out the study even though highly carcinogenic chromium 6 was among potentially lethal elements found in the dump at Haulbowline island two years ago.
In July 2008, Environment Minister John Gormley said he would recommend to Cabinet a full baseline health study in the harbour area after an estimated 500,000 tonnes of waste was found on the island’s East Tip.
In reply to a Dáil question from Cork East TD David Stanton, Ms Harney said “it is not proposed to conduct a baseline health survey for the Cork harbour region”.
Mr Gormley also told Mr Stanton that air monitoring results at the site and in Cobh showed no risk to people.
He added that an assessment of water, sediment and mussel samples found no identifiable risk to the residents of Cork harbour.
Mr Gormley added the East Tip site was screened and nothing was found to suggest a risk to people working in the area.
Mr Stanton said: “The fact that almost two years has been allowed to elapse without any plan being developed to deal with the mess that is Haulbowline is bad enough, but now that the Government has finally abandoned any proposals to examine the reason why there is a higher rate of cancer in the area it is causing huge concern and outrage.”
A working group is expected to report in about six months’ time on what should be done with the site.
“I am calling now on the Government to act before the storms of another winter erode even more material into the harbour. The fact that the suggestion of a baseline health study, raised by Minister Gormley two years ago has now been abandoned is deplorable. What has been done to date, namely nothing, is not just good enough,” Mr Stanton added.
Cobh-based councillor John Mulvihill said chromium 6 “may or may not be connected to the high cancer rates in Cobh, but it’s vital a health study is carried out”.
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