asked the Minister for the Marine if a licence has been granted to a company (details supplied) in Ringaskiddy, County Cork for the dumping of waste or toxic materials at sea; the terms of any such licence; and in particular, the nature of the material dumped, the amount dumped and the location of the dumping; if any monitoring has taken place on the possible environmental impact of this dumping; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - County Cork Dumping Licence.
138.
The company concerned has been in receipt of annual licences since 1982 to dump liquid effluents from its plant at a site located within the co-ordinates, 51º 37' N 08º 17' W; 51º 37' N 08º 08' W; 51º 34' N 08º 17' W; 51º 34' N 08º 08' W.
The effluents in question consist of waste derived from the manufacture of organic chemicals and the annual volume authorised has been 1.3 million tonnes of liquid. The licences include provisions on the method of operation of the dumping vessels to achieve maximum dilution, parameters for the effluents themselves and provisions on monitoring both of the effluents and of the dumping operations.
Work to date on the dumping site by and on behalf of my Department has not revealed any adverse effects from the dumping of waste in the area in question.