Cargo dust from port clogged Pfizer filters
The revelation came at a Bord Pleanála oral hearing during cross-examination of port officials by objectors to its plans for a €100m-plus upgrade of its cargo-handling facilities at Ringaskiddy.
Concern expressed by local residents over dust emissions prompted Cork Harbour Environmental Protection Association (CHEPA) member Bob McLaughlin to reveal three pictures he took on February 21 last year. They showed significant amounts of dust being spread into the atmosphere while a ship was being unloaded.
The dust blew into the air filtration systems on the roof of the Pfizer plant.
Port officials admitted things went wrong that day due to a gale that swept a large amount of fine particles of palm kernel into the air. Palm kernel — which had been imported from Indonesia — is the granulated husks of palm seed. It is used as a protein additive for animal feed.
Port officials said it was their “biggest incident in recent years” and they had “resolved the situation satisfactorily” with the pharmaceutical giant. They also said that, following discussions with Pfizer management, they had put protocols in place to ensure it would not reoccur.
The officials said they had put dust mitigation methods into place in the port 15 years ago and were constantly improving on them.
However, Ringaskiddy Residents’ Association (RRA) member Sean Forde claimed dust clouds were emanating on a regular basis and resulted in locals frequently having to hose down their cars and houses.
Cork County Council officials told the hearing at Cork Airport International Hotel that since 2009 they had received 39 complaints about dust emissions from the Ringaskiddy port. The highest, 11, were logged in 2009; 10 were recorded last year and, so far this year, there have been four.
They said that in each case they had contacted the Port of Cork and had made 12 site visits to the facility in the past six years to follow up on complaints. Two unscheduled visits have been made this year.
Council representatives said the port had only ever been the subject of one enforcement order under the Air Pollution Act, which was issued for an incident in 2010.
They said that, like most local authorities, they could do with more staff in their Environment Directorate, as it has to deal with an average of 1,110 complaints from the public about pollution each year.
In his submission, the council’s executive scientist Andrew McDonnell said, despite the workload, he was “satisfied that the directorate has the capacity to meet additional monitoring commitments that might arise from the proposed [port] development”.
RRA members also expressed fears they could become prisoners in their own homes if a complete new road isn’t built to bypass the village to service the port extension.
Port representatives said they hoped a new N28 would extend as far as the Naval Service facilities.
However, they said they had contingency plans to construct internal roads to connect to the N28.
The National Roads Authority (NRA) will today outline their proposals and timelines for upgrading the N28 and the Jack Lynch Tunnel/Dunkettle interchange.
