‘Sellafield’ threatening tourism potential

CORK’S county manager Martin Riordan is in favour of sealing and capping a toxic waste dump after being told he can’t develop Cork harbour “as a major tourism mecca with a potential Sellafield” in the middle of it.

He made his comments after hearing an impassioned plea from Cllr John Mulvihill (Lab) to do something about the 500,000 toxic waste dump at Haulbowline.

The councillor, who lost his wife to cancer more than 20 years ago, requested the county council conduct a baseline health study in the lower harbour after Minister for Health Mary Harney refused to do so – even after the 500,000 tonne toxic waste dumped on the island was shown to contain traces of Chromium 6, the second most deadly carcinogenic.

Mr Mulvihill said cancer rates in the Cobh urban area were 37% higher than the national average and if it wasn’t as a result of the former Irish Steel site a study was needed to find out the exact cause.

In July 2008, Minister for the Environment John Gormley said he’d try and get approval from cabinet colleagues for a baseline health study.

Since then, based on previous National Cancer Registry figures, a further 60 people in Cobh may well have been diagnosed with the disease.

Cllr Sean O’Connor (Ind), who is also based in Cobh, said there was a time when people could rely on a FF-led government to look after their health, but that was no longer the case.

He was disappointed with the inaction of the party’s Cork TDs and Ministers Micheál Martin and Batt O’Keeffe to the toxic dump.

Several other councillors supported Mr Mulvihill’s calls for the council to carry out its own health study.

The county council has plans to turn Spike Island and Cork harbour into a major tourist attraction.

However, Cllr Sandra McLellan (SF) asked Mr Riordan how he could continue with those plans with “a potential Sellafield” right in the middle of the harbour.

Cllr Kevin Murphy (FG) asked her to withdraw the Sellafield comment, but she refused. “It’s Sellafield-like in my opinion and it’s also the opinion of a number of people in Cobh,” Ms McLellan replied.

Cllr Donal O’Rourke (FF) said the incidence of cancer in Cobh couldn’t be ignored and it was time to put people first.

The county manager said on several occasions he had supported calls for a baseline health study in Cobh and the general lower harbour.

However, he said he couldn’t immediately give any guarantees that the local authority would be able to carry out its own health study. He said he would seek a formal response from Ms Harney and then address situation.

But he wasn’t sure if the council would have the authority or competence to carry out a baseline health study on its own.