Probe into factory's deal on pollution reports

The Department of the Marine is to investigate a secret pollution reporting deal between a factory and a fisheries board.

Aughinish Alumina made an agreement with the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board in 2003 which meant it did not have to notify it of breaches of its pollution control licence unless they exceeded it by at least 10%.

The Cappagh Farmers’ Support Group, which represents locals near the West Limerick factory, wrote to the Department of the Marine to demand an investigation.

“We now have a situation where a private deal was done between Aughinish Alumina and the fisheries board, both knowing that it was in breach of the Aughinish integrated pollution control (IPC) licence and both went ahead with it,” said chairman Patrick Sheehy.

He said this had serious consequences for the independence of the fisheries board.

The Marine Minister Pat the Cope Gallagher told the Cappagh Farmers’ Support Group that he had asked his officials to investigate the matter.

“I shall respond as soon as I have received a report,” he said.

Aughinish Alumina, which is the largest producer of alumina in Europe, did not notify the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the agreement, according to the agency’s 2003 audit.

“The EPA were not party to this agreement and the company are asked to regularise this issue so that the IPC compliance is assured,” it said.

An Aughinish Alumina spokesman said he believed the company was now compliant with its IPC licence.

“You can take it that we have done what we’re required to do,” he said.

The Shannon Regional Fisheries Board is tasked with protecting and conserving sea angling and inland fisheries in the Mid West area.

A spokesman for the board said the agreement with Aughinish Alumina no longer existed but was unavailable for further comment.

Last year Taoiseach Bertie Ahern visited the plant and when questioned about the health concerns of local people, defended its record as the most “regulated” company of its kind in the world.

But in its 2003 audit, the EPA found the Aughinish Alumina plant had produced emissions which were seven times higher than the permitted level and was unable to account for 7,000 tonnes of toxic caustic solution.

The EPA was unable to contact its inspector for the Aughinish Alumina plant and therefore could not confirm the status of the agreement between the company and the fisheries board.

“If the Fisheries have subsequently come back to say they only need notification of incidents above a certain level then the EPA would not have a problem with that. Once the Fisheries are satisfied with the accepted level of compliance then so too are the EPA,” said a spokeswoman.

However, she said the EPA would need to see confirmation of such an agreement in writing.