What’s coming our way down river?

FARMERS and fishermen on the Shannon Estuary in Limerick and Clare are alerting counterparts in North Kerry to their concerns over a dredging project at the Aughinish Alumina plant.

They fear the plough dredging operation now underway at the plant’s jetty will bring toxic chemicals up from the estuary bed to wash down the Estuary and consequently impact fisheries.

Aughinish Alumina Ltd Russian parent company Rusal does not believe the dredging poses an environmental threat - subject to ‘mitigation recommendations’ being implemented in full, according to its application for a licence to dump at sea.

The company is dredging at the jetty to maintain what it describes as ‘navigational depths’ as well as to allow larger ships dock.

The dumping at sea licence required for the operation was issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on July 28, with the company advertising the commencement of the dredging from August 8 until August 28.

But the way in which the dredging is being done - by ploughing - is causing concern in some quarters.

Spokesperson of the Cappagh Farmers’ Support Group in Limerick Pat Geoghegan told The Kerryman this week he and fellow members fear that the method of ploughing the silt under the jetty to wash away down river could unearth environmentally harmful materials.

Bauxite - the ore from which aluminium is refined - is the principal material shipped into Aughinish.

Mr Geoghegan fears that inadvertent spillage of materials during unloading since the plant began operating in 1983 may have resulted in the deposition of noxious chemicals on the estuary bed.

Sampling of the silt at the jetty carried out by the Galway-based Marine Institute did not find sufficiently harmful levels of chemicals to refuse the dumping at sea licence, however.

“We’re concerned about the kind of chemicals that are in there,” Mr Geoghegan told The Kerryman.

Coonagh Co Clare native fisherman Patsy Peril went so far as to say he was concerned that fish stocks could ‘be wiped out overnight’ if noxious chemicals were washed down the river:

“Kerry people have to be awake to this as they’re living only one tidal distance away from the site,” Mr Peril - a member of the Regional Inshore Fisheries Forum - told The Kerryman.

Margot Cronin of the Marine Institute in Galway tasked with analysing the sediment informed the EPA in a letter on July 15 last that she ‘would not object to the dumping at sea of this material’ as she deemed it largely safe.

Concern over ‘elevated’ concentrations of the essential mineral zinc was flagged in one of three areas of sediment tested by the Marine Institute - from a section on the eastern shore of the facility.

“However, given the relatively minor quantities involved here, and the fact that there is no other indication of contamination here, I would not object to the dumping at sea of this material,” Ms Cronin informed EPA officer Suzanne Wilde.

Aughinish’s Russian owners Rusal do not believe the project poses a threat to the local environment.

In its application for the dumping at sea licence the company stated: “The proposal is based on a scientific examination of evidence and data, carried out by competent persons.

“Provided the mitigation recommendations are implemented in full, it is not expected that the proposal will result in an adverse residual impact.”

The licensing obtained by Aughinish allows it to plough dredge the site over the next eight years.

The Aughinish Alumina plant near Askeaton in west Limerick. A dredging project there at present is prompting concern among some.