Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 11 Feb 2003

Vol. 561 No. 1

Written Answers. - Drainage Schemes.

John McGuinness

Question:

243 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Finance if evidence of PCBs have been found in the spoil spread at Dukes Meadows, Kilkenny, from the River Nore drainage scheme; if so, the action which is to be taken in the matter; the dangers which exist for the residents of the area; if wildlife associated with the area is at risk; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3703/03]

Minister of State at the Department of Finance (Mr. Parlon):

The Deputy will be familiar with the background to this issue. A spillage of PCBs from the brewery into the River Breagagh occurred in 1980. Most of this spillage was recovered immediately through the prompt action of Guinness (Ireland) Limited. At that time Office of Public Works had no involvement with the Breagagh or Nore rivers and was not, therefore, involved in the clean up of the spillage or any subsequent remediation measures.

OPW's first involvement came much later as part of the preparation for the Kilkenny flood relief scheme. Office of Public Works had a survey carried out in 1997 to test for the presence of PCBs in the Breagagh and Nore rivers. This identified some areas where PCBs were present in the riverbed at locations where Office of Public Works intended to carry out dredging as part of the flood relief scheme.

Guinness (Ireland) Limited agreed to carry out a further clean up operation to remove any remaining traces of PCBs. This was done in consultation with Kilkenny County Council and borough council, Office of Public Works, Environmental Protection Agency, Dúchas and SEHB. The work was managed by Project Management Ireland Limited and was completed early in 2002. The clean up was carried out, in agreement with the EPA, to a Dutch standard for presence of PCBs, and the material was removed for incineration abroad.

The completion of this work left the way clear for Office of Public Works to proceed with the flood relief scheme. The dredging of the riverbed is an essential part of the scheme in order to improve the flow of water in times of flood. The scheme involves removal of material from the riverbed and spreading it at three locations – Dukesmeadow, Bishopsmeadows and Ossory Road. To date the majority of the material removed has been spread at Dukesmeadow.

Given the history of the PCB spillage and in order to reassure residents at Dukesmeadow, Office of Public Works agreed to sample the spoil and test it for PCBs. Twelve samples were taken and traces of PCBs above the clean up level were found in two of these. These results were immediately made available to the Dukesmeadows residents' association in December 2002 and Office of Public Works agreed to carry out further analysis of the test results to assess the significance of the findings.

This issue is being taken very seriously by Office of Public Works. A group has now been set up comprising representatives of Office of Public Works, Kilkenny County Council, borough council, EPA, SEHB and Project Management Limited, to deal with this issue. This group will meet on a regular basis until this issue is resolved. It is important to note that it is not planned to remove any further material from the river before July of this year. The immediate concern is to deal with the spoil that has already been removed. In consultation with the EPA and SEHB, Office of Public Works is undertaking immediately a further comprehensive testing and analysis of the spoil deposits. The results of this work will be available in approximately six weeks and decisions can then be made in light of the results of the tests. Further tests will also be carried out in the riverbed where it is proposed to remove further material. Office of Public Works and the contractor for the flood relief scheme are currently carrying out a risk analysis for all areas where work is currently taking place in the river to agree what actions need to be taken from a health and safety point of view.

Based on the information available to date, the EPA can confirm that the present spoil deposits do not pose any immediate threats to public health. PCBs are harmful if ingested or if they come into direct contact with the skin. The possibility of airborne PCBs does not arise given the nature of the spoil deposits. In addition, PCBs are relatively heavy and tend to sink in water and stick to soil or gravel. Office of Public Works is taking steps to ensure that the spoil sites are adequately secured.

I am satisfied that this issue is being well managed by Office of Public Works in conjunction with all the other relevant bodies. Office of Public Works has been quite open with local residents on this matter as on all other matters of concern arising from the flood relief scheme and this policy will continue. I am confident that Office of Public Works will take whatever action is required, in consultation with all the relevant agencies, when the results of the additional tests become available. The immediate priority is, of course, to allay public concerns about PCB deposits and deal with any public health issues that arise while not losing sight of the objective of completing the flood relief scheme for the benefit of the people of Kilkenny.