asked the Minister for the Marine the number of licences that have been granted in each of the years 1987 and 1988 to companies permitting the dumping of waste products off the Irish coast; the names of companies to whom such licences have been granted; the nature of the waste products permitted to be dumped according to each of the licences granted; the amount of such waste products in each case; and those of the aforesaid waste products which were of a toxic and dangerous nature.
Written Answers. - Dumping at Sea.
154.
The information requested is as follows:
|
Total Quantity Licensed to be Dumped |
|||
|
Name of Company |
Nature of Waste |
1987 |
1988 |
|
tonnes |
tonnes |
||
|
1. Wyeth (Ireland) Ltd., Askeaton, County Limerick |
Sludge arising from treatment of trade effluent |
3,300 |
3,300 |
|
2. Pfizer Chemical Corporation, Ringaskiddy, County Cork |
Waste derived from manu- facture of organic chemicals |
1,300,000 |
1,300,000 |
|
Irish Refining PLC, |
Nil |
1,300 |
|
|
Whitegate, County Cork |
Spent caustic soda |
None of the wastes in question were of a toxic or dangerous nature.
155.
asked the Minister for the Marine if he will introduce any regulations or if he will outline Government policy in relation to the practice by ships and boats of disposing of waste into the sea; whether such practices are fundamentally objectionable; and the steps he is taking to bring such environmental hostile habits to an end.
My Department is presently drafting the Sea Pollution Bill, 1988, which will, inter alia, implement the provisions of an international convention (MARPOL 73/78) on the prevention of the discharge of sewage, garbage and other pollutants from ships.