O’Dowd hits out at Adams over water claims

Fergus O’Dowd

Louth TD Fergus O’Dowd has hit out at his constituency rival Gerry Adams over the Sinn Féin president’s claim last week that there was nothing wrong with the quality of water in the Dundalk area.

Last weekend the Sunday Independent published a report claiming that Lough Muckno, Lough Ross and the River Fane, which supplies Dundalk’s water supply, were being contaminated by IRA fuel launderers whose toxic waste was getting into the water.

While officials at Louth County Council insisted last Monday that as far as they were concerned the water was safe, the Sunday Independent reiterated their report again yesterday by saying that further test results on Friday had shown that water fuel and chemicals pumped into the public water system are “extremely toxic” with one sample found to contain 103.8 toxic units.

Regulations covering pollution discharge into the non-drinking water systems put limits as low as one toxic unit – and there should be none in discharge into the public water system.

On Friday Deputy Adams issued a statement saying the water was safe that accused some local politicians of making “irresponsible claims” that it was not, something he said could affect both tourism and business in the county.

However, commenting in the Sunday Independent yesterday, Fine Gael’s Fergus O’Dowd challenged Deputy Adams to drink the contaminated water.

He said: “If we are to believe Adams, it will do him no harm!

“There can be no forgiveness North and South for this dangerous criminal activity that puts our health at risk,” said O’Dowd, “and any denial of the health impact of carcinogenic pollution of this nature from any Dail member is disgraceful and shameful.”

Local Fine Gael councillor John McGahon also hit out at Sinn Féin for failing to accept that the IRA was poisoning the water system. He told the paper he was “disgusted” at the party.

Department of Environment admit concern over possibility of water contamination in Dundalk

A lorry containing almost 40,000 litres of fuel laundering waste which was abandoned along the N1 near Junction 20 Jonesborough/Carrickarnon yesterday

The Department of the Environment have admitted they are “concerned” by weekend media reports which suggest that the drinking water supply to Dundalk might be contaminated.

The statement, made by Minister of State Paudie Coffey on behalf of Minister Alan Kelly, comes following an article in The Sunday Independent which alleged that the town’s water supply was being poisoned by IRA fuel launderers, who were dumping cancer causing toxins into Lough Muckno, Lough Ross and the River Fane.

While the matter was debated at length by Louth County Council on Monday, it was also raised in the Dáil by local TDs Fergus O’Dowd and Seamus Kirk as well as Cavan/Monaghan-based deputies Sean Conlon and Brendan Smith.

In a reply to the TDs, Minister Coffey said: “I am taking this on behalf of Minister Alan Kelly, and like other Deputies I am concerned about media reports regarding an alleged pollution discharge.”

He said he was aware that Louth County Council were investigating the matter in conjunction with the Water Pollution Inspectorate in Northern Ireland before warning that anyone who was found guilty of polluting waters could be fined up to €15m, receive up to five years in prison on both.

He revealed that diesel laundering waste dumping had led to 596 clean-up operations in Louth since 2008, at a cost of approximately €4.8 million to the State.

Minister Coffey said talks were ongoing with the relevant authorities in Northern Ireland to “develop a mechanism for dealing with waste from cross-border diesel washings.”

He said it was important that there was full cross border support in stamping out the problem and added that Minister Kelly would be writing to Minister Mark Durkan in the north to highlight the problems being faced by border counties exposed to the consequences of what he described as “environmental crime”.

Meanwhile, Louth TD Gerry Adams has condemned the discovery of 40,000 litres of fuel sludge on the N1 north of Dundalk yesterday and said: “The only effective means of closing down this illegal activity is to end the differential between agricultural and non-agricultural diesel. The government needs to introduce in its place a system where farmers can reclaim a rebate on their fuel costs based on vouched expenditure”.

The Sinn Féin leader has also accused some Louth politicians of making irresponsible claims that drinking water has been polluted.

He said: “This assertion – especially given the assurances by the Director of Services in Louth County Council that the drinking water is safe can only serve to undermine the efforts of the Council to promote tourism and business in Dundalk and its hinterland and to undermine public confidence.”

Deputy Adams also accused the gangs involved in diesel laundering of “causing serious environmental and health problems, putting at risk legitimate business and jobs, as well as imposing significant financial costs on local councils and the tax payer.”

Louth County Council to investigate reports of contamination to Dundalk water supply

Contaminated water pictured in a stream outside Castleblayney last week by The Sunday Independent

Following this morning’s monthly meeting of the council, Louth Local Authorities have issued a press statement regarding Dundalk’s water supply.

A newspaper article yesterday claimed that the town’s water was being contaminated as a result of fuel launderers pouring toxic waste into rivers.

However, in a statement released just before lunchtime, the council said that they carried out regular sampling which was “fully compliant”.

They vowed to investigate the claims made in The Sunday Independent though.

The statement read:

“Louth County Council noted media reports yesterday regarding an alleged pollution discharge to Lough Ross in Co Armagh entering the River Fane system which is the source of the drinking water supply for Dundalk.

“Louth County Council on behalf of Irish water has contacted the Water Pollution Inspectorate in Northern Ireland to investigate the alleged incident.

“It is alleged in the media that an oil laundering plant is operating in South Armagh and discharging to a tributary which feeds Lough Ross in Co Armagh.

“The Council carries out regular sampling at various properties throughout the water distribution system for Dundalk. The drinking water sample results for Dundalk Public Water Supply Scheme for 2014 for PAHs is fully compliant with the Drinking Water Regulations and below the 0.1µg/L limit.

“The river water results taken at the Dundalk Water Supply abstraction point on the River Fane during 2014 show COD is less than 40mg/l during the year and therefore compliant with the Quality of Surface Water Intended for the Abstraction of Drinking Water Regulations.

“The drinking water samples for Dundalk Town and Environs have all been compliant with the Drinking Water Regulations 2013 with the exception of  one instance of lead detection. The investigation of this lead non-compliance showed there was no lead on the public side of the public water supply.”

Earlier today, the council also confirmed they would be seeking the Sunday Independent’s evidence of the alleged contamination, which the paper said could cause cancers and abnormalities in unborn babies.

Louth County Council seeking Sunday Independent evidence of water contamination in Dundalk

The matter was discussed at this morning’s Louth County Council meeting

Louth County Council have moved to ease fears over the safety of Dundalk’s water supply following an article in yesterday’s Sunday Independent which claimed it was being polluted by oil launderers pumping toxic waste into it.

The investigation in yesterday’s paper claimed that to have found evidence of carcinogenic waste flowing from an illegal fuel plant in south Armagh into Lough Muckno, Lough Ross and the River Fane, which is the main reservoir for the whole of Dundalk

A sample of water taken by the newspaper last week was alleged to contain 8,000 times more chemical pollution than clean drinking water.

The matter was high on the agenda at this morning’s meeting of Louth County Council, with officials reporting no such problems last year.

Councillors were told that in 2014 there were no incidents of carcinogenic and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons being found in water at Cavan Hill treatment plant. There was one test that showed concerns regarding lead. In 2014 the world youth fly fishing contest took place on the Fane river and there were no traces of fish kills.

The Sunday Independent has been asked for their materials/evidence which made the basis of their article in yesterday’s paper. No response has been received.

Hat-tip to Tomás Sharkey for the update from the meeting. He added: “Not saying it is false…the right agencies need their evidence to do a full investigation.”

Meanwhile, a vote was passed condemning both the IRA and the fuel smugglers at the meeting after being proposed by Cllr John McGahon.

Commenting on the motion, Cllr McGahon said: “I was delighted that Louth County Council accepted my motion that Louth County Council condemns the actions of the IRA and all fuel launders operating along the border.

“These fuel launderers have now moved into the business of poisoning our local waterways.

“The pollution in our rivers is not caused by high winds or high tides or any other environmental matters, it’s caused by criminal activity, the vast majority of which is conducted by well known republicans in the border region.

“I have always believed in straight talking and to put it mildly, these gangsters are engaged in environmental terrorism. People along the border are fearful of them.

“Last year, Louth County Council  spent €65,000 clearing up toxic sludge disposed on our roadways, now these criminals are dumping in our waterways, but what will it cost the people of County Louth in the long run in terms of health,”he said.

It was also agreed at the meeting that Irish Water and the EPA would report directly to councillors on the quality of water in Dundalk as soon as possible.

Concern over claims Dundalk’s water supply could be polluted by fuel launderers

Contaminated water pictured in a stream outside Castleblayney last week by The Sunday Independent

Louth County Council will meet for the first time this year later this morning with a report that oil launderers are pumping toxic waste into local water supplies set to feature heavily on the agenda.

Yesterday’s Sunday Independent claimed that the fuel smugglers were pumping the fuel laundering waste into local rivers and said it could be causing cancers and abnormalities in unborn babies.

The investigation by Jim Cusack found evidence of carcinogenic waste flowing from an illegal fuel plant in south Armagh into Lough Muckno, Lough Ross and the River Fane, which is the main reservoir for the whole of Dundalk.

A sample of water taken by the newspaper last week was shown to contain 8,000 times more chemical pollution than clean drinking water.

The sample, taken from directly behind the plant, one of dozens used by paramilitary smugglers in south Armagh, is also 400 times over the maximum chemical content of waste set by the European Union and Irish Water.

The toxic waste is being pumped directly into a stream that feeds directly into the River Fane drinking water system.

Around 40,000 people living in Dundalk – plus another 8,000 in Crossmaglen in south Armagh – are drinking water from the system that is being poisoned by the IRA fuel launderers.

Chemicals in the pollution almost certainly include polycyclic hydrocarbons that are linked to cancers and prenatal disorders.

Preliminary analysis has already shown that a chemical-oxygen demand (COD) in the sample taken is 8,000mg per litre. There should be near-zero COD in drinking water for humans.

The level of poison was so high that it was off the normal mid-range tests that are used for drinking water in Ireland.

The most common dangerous compounds found in the diesel washing by-product are polycyclic aromatic hydrocabons (PAH).

Tests done on industrial pollutants containing PAHs by the Centre for Children’s Environmental Health have found that exposure during pregnancy has produced heart malformations, premature delivery and low birth weight. Exposure has also been linked to cancers and developmental under-development among children.

Commenting on the matter, Sinn Féin councillor Tomás Sharkey said the alleged pollution was of “serious concern” to him and all public representatives in Louth.

“Cavan Hill water treatment plant supplies most of Dundalk and much of the surrounding area. It draws water from the Fane River. If the details in the paper are true, there is a chance that the water entering the treatment plant is contaminated. This raises obvious concerns for human health and environmental protection.

“I have contacted the Sunday Independent and have asked that any information gathered for that article be shared with the relevant authorities and have specifically asked that laboratory test results on water samples be shared with the staff of Louth County Council.

“Once again, on behalf of all Sinn Féin Councillors in Louth, I am asking the public to be vigilant for incidents of dumping of diesel laundering waste and and also asking for a new report on the workings of the multi agency approach which was tasked with tackling this problem in 2011.”

Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil councillor Declan Breathnach has called on the EPA to investigate the claims made in the paper so that the town can stand over the quality of its water supply once more.

You can read the full Sunday Independent article here.