Ivor Callely
Ceist:236 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for the Marine the condition of the former sewage sludge dump site two miles off Howth Head; his views on the existing dump site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23724/96]
Written Answers. - Dumping at Sea.
Ivor Callely
Ceist:237 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for the Marine the volume of sewage authorised by his Department to be dumped off the nose of Howth in 1996; the estimated volume to be dumped in 1997; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23725/96]
Ivor Callely
Ceist:238 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for the Marine the current volume and type of waste which he has authorised to be dumped at sea; the issues of concern, if any, in relation to such dumping which have been brought to his attention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23726/96]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 236, 237 and 238 together.
Under the Dumping at Sea Act, 1996, the Minister for the Marine is empowered to grant or refuse to grant permits for the disposal of (a) dredged material; (b) inert material of natural origin, that is, solid, chemically unprocessed geological material, the chemical constituents of which are unlikely to be released into the marine environment; (c) sewage sludge until 31 December 1998; (d) fish waste from industrial fish processing operations; and, (e) vessels or aircraft until, at the latest, 31 December 2004.
So far during 1996 I have authorised the disposal at sea of a total of 3,371,500 tonnes of dredge spoil, 131,000 tonnes of sand, 40,000 tonnes of granite rock, 2,500 tonnes of fish shells and offal and 340,000 tonnes of sewage sludge at various sites around the coast.
All applications to dump at sea are rigorously assessed by the Department's Marine Licence Vetting Committee — MLVC. The committee, a multi-disciplinary one, is comprised of officials from the Department of the Marine, the Fisheries Research Centre of the Marine Institute and the Central Fisheries Board with expertise in fisheries, biology, chemistry, oceanography, navigation and engineering disciplines. Briefly, the assessment criteria used include: the characteristics and composition of the substance or material to be dumped; the characteristics of the dumping site and the proposed method of disposal; the extent to which the dumping might interfere with fish and shellfish cultures, shipping, recreation or navigation; the availability of suitable land-based alternatives; proper certification of the disposal vessel and crew and the possibility of an impact on the marine environment. Consultation takes place with local fishing organisations and other users of the area. Any concerns raised by fishery or other environmental interests about dumping at sea applications are considered carefully by the MLVC before a decision is made to allow dumping at sea to go ahead.
In addition to the MLVC assessment procedure, I am empowered to request applicants to undertake analyses or surveys of the material to be dumped and of the dump site at their own expense. If the proposed site is found unsuitable for any reason alternative sites are investigated; if the waste is found unsuitable for sea disposal a permit is refused.
The dumping of sewage sludge at sea will be prohibited internationally under the Convention for the Protection of the North-East Atlantic — OSPAR — after 31 December, 1998. This prohibition has been given statutory effect by way of the Dumping at Sea Act, 1996. Dublin Corporation is Ireland's only authorised sewage sludge dumper. Its plan for alternative disposal methods has been approved by the Department of the Environment and work on the implementation of the plan to switch to land-based disposal after 31 December, 1998 is on target.
Dublin Corporation currently holds a permit for the disposal of up to a maximum of 340,000 tonnes of sewage sludge at sea during 1996 with a maximum of 2,000 tonnes to be dumped per day. Three trips are normally made to the site per week with approximately 2,000 tonnes being disposed of on each trip. The dump site is located some 14 miles south-east of the Kish lighthouse well away from Dublin Bay. The corporation has recently applied for renewal of the permit for 1997 and has requested an increase in the amount to be dumped to 370,000 tonnes. The Department's Marine Licence Vetting Committee is currently considering this application.
It came to light recently that six companies were transporting industrial liquid wastes by tankers for treatment at Ringsend. This waste was being combined with sewage sludge and disposed of at sea. Following intensive examination by the Department's Marine Licence Vetting Committee it was decided to allow the continuation of this practice on the basis that the waste from the tankers, once it enters the plant, is treated and becomes sludge. I am satisfied that the sludge is non-hazardous, non-toxic and contains no heavy metals. It is biologically treated to a primary standard and does not pose any threat to the marine environment. The waste is monitored on a monthly basis.
In March 1991, following extensive scientific studies, the site used by Dublin Corporation for the disposal of sewage sludge was relocated from its previous location two miles off Howth Head to a new site south-east of the Kish lighthouse about ten to 14 miles offshore. Some localised environmental impact had been identified in the vicinity of the old site. Monitoring of the status of the new sewage sludge dump site and the recovery status of the old dump site close to Howth Head was carried out in 1993. At the new dump site the monitoring revealed that there was no significant impact on the sediment fauna in the area, reflecting the dispersive nature of the dump site, while at the old dump site the monitoring revealed an increase in the number of benthic faunal species in the area, suggesting good recovery. Arrangements are currently in train to have both sites resurveyed. The parameters for the survey have been established by scientists from the Marine Institute and tenders for the work will be invited shortly. Under present disposal conditions environmental problems are not anticipated.