Coveney begins moves to make safe toxic dump
Minister for Agriculture, Marine and Food, Simon Coveney, who volunteered to chair the inter-departmental group, said it will result within weeks in an application by the state to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a licence to run and manage a landfill on the east side of the former Irish Steel/Irish Ispat plant in Haulbowline.
“This is very different to what was promised in the past,” Mr Coveney said, after touring the site yesterday morning.
“I’m not promising apartment blocks, marinas, hotels, casinos or anything else like that on this site, as happened in the past.
“I’m only promising one thing and that is I am applying for a landfill licence. The EPA will dictate whether that is successful or not.
“We have a legal obligation to put a proper framework around how this site is managed,” he said.
“This is an unfortunate scar on the harbour that needs to be cleaned up and made safe. It should have happened many, many years ago.
“But I have a very narrow remit here, to put together an application to run a landfill site.”
The move follows a threat from the European Commission earlier this year that the Government would face hefty fines unless it took action to secure and make safe a site which contains mountains of slag byproducts of the steel-making process – including the deadly carcinogen Chromium 6 and a number of heavy metals.
But Mr Coveney said he doesn’t think fines are likely now that the state is taking action.
The site will be investigated, reports will be examined and public consultation will take place as part of the licence application process, he said.
He expects to submit the licence application as soon as possible, in the hope that he could bring the matter to Cabinet before this year’s budget.
But he accepted that it will be difficult to find money, especially if as expected, the EPA recommends that some form of breakwater, wall or barrier be built around the tip.
“I have a commitment from Brendan Howlin, who holds the purse strings, that there will be a discussion and a Government decision around the allocation of some resources to address the licensing application satisfactorily,” he said.
It is likely that the money will be allocated over several budgets.
Earlier this week, the Health Minister Dr James Reilly ruled out conducting a baseline health study in the Cobh area where cancer rates are above the national average.
His decision followed advice from his department’s chief medical officer.
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