Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 17 Oct 1995

Vol. 457 No. 1

Written Answers. - Dumping of Nuclear Waste.

Trevor Sargent

Question:

194 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Marine if he will report on his investigations into the use by Britain and any other countries of the Irish Sea and other Irish coastal waters as a disposal area for nuclear material as well as chemical and other weaponry. [14962/95]

Minister for the Marine (Mr. Barrett)

My Department has been in touch with the corresponding UK authorities over a period of time regarding these various matters and has been informed that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) used to undertake sea dumping of chemical weapon stocks and conventional munitions as means of disposing of redundant and surplus stocks and dealing with the legacy of weapons produced in the World Wars.

Information has been made available as to the locations of dumpsites off the Irish coast and the amounts and type of materials dumped. The UK authorities have given assurances at all times that no dumping of nuclear material or material containing toxic heavy metals has taken place at any stage at any of the dumpsites mentioned. Nevertheless, I remain very concerned at the extent of the dumping, the apparent lack of management of dumpsites and the possible environmental and health hazards that may occur. My concerns have been heightened by recent reports that radioactive wastes may have been dumped at one dumpsite viz. Beaufort's Dyke which is located on the Scottish side of the North Channel. I am dealing with the issue as a matter of urgency on two levels.

On a bilateral level I have written to the UK Secretary of State for Defence asking for urgent clarification of the reports in question. I have stressed the public disquiet that the suggested disposal operations give rise to there both in terms of environmental damage and public health and have asked in particular to be provided with the following information in respect of the dumping in question, viz.

—the exact location of the dumping operation, the volumes, nature, radioactivity, casing etc. of the material involved

—an assessment of their present state, their likely impact on the local and Irish Sea environment generally,

—the steps the UK Government have taken, or intend to take, to monitor the materials, sites and contiguous marine conditions, and

—the measures the UK Government plan to implement to minimise any adverse impact the materials are having, or are likely to have, on the areas.

I can assure the Deputy that I will personally be following this matter up closely with a view to obtaining disclosure of the full facts.

On an international level the dumping of chemical weapons is a matter of major concern to most Contracting Parties to the Oslo Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping from Ships and Aircraft, 1972. Ireland is a party to the Oslo Convention and the Government is actively pursuing the general issue of munitions dumpings through that forum.

The Assessment and Monitoring Committee (ASMO), a scientific working group of the convention has considered studies undertaken by Denmark concerning war gas dumpings in the Baltic Sea and concluded on the basis of the best available information and technical advice that given the nature of the chemicals, seepage is not considered to pose serious hazards and efforts to retrieve or remove would be more dangerous than leaving the dumped material in place. Nevertheless, this remains a matter of serious concern and further investigation into this whole area is required.

I am, thereore, determined to ensure that a comprehensive investigation of the impact of the dumping of chemical weapons off the coast of Ireland should be initiated. In this regard it was decided, at the April meeting of ASMO this year that, as part of a wider Quality Status Report on the maritime area covered by the Oslo Convention, the impact of the dumping of war gas ammunition would be specifically addressed. This wider Quality Status Report is to be completed by the year 2000. Ireland and the UK are responsible for the preparation of that part of the report in respect of a region which covers the Irish Sea, Celtic Sea and areas to the west of Ireland and west of Scotland and the aim is to have the war gas aspect addressed as speedily as possible.