EPA tests on wastewater at the North Cork Creamery plant close to the site of a large fish kill on the river Blackwater have found the co-op was not in compliance with its discharge licences.
The “grab sample” of effluent discharge was taken at the creamery on the afternoon of August 12th. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says the co-op was found to be “non compliant with its licence” at the time of the agency site visit. One non-compliance notice was also issued in relation to incident notification.
Tests indicated that ammonia, orthophosphate and phosphorus levels were above the permitted amount. A spokeswoman for the EPA said a full report interpreting this data will be made available in due course.
“As this investigation is still ongoing we are not in a position to discuss the results further,” she said.
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Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) issued the EPA results. They indicated that they were hosting the results on their website, with the EPA being “best placed” to comment on them.
The IFI said it is continuing to work with Cork County Council, the EPA, the Marine Institute and Uisce Éireann to advance the ongoing investigation of fish mortalities on the river Blackwater earlier this month.
“Potential actions to progress the investigation have been discussed, including testing riverbed sediment, analysis of fish mortalities to identify potential harmful substances, and sampling of macroinvertebrates,” the IFI said.
“Additional macroinvertebrate sampling will now be executed to try identify where a waterborne irritant may have entered the water.”
Meanwhile, Cork Labour TD Eoghan Kenny has called on the IFI to appear before the Oireachtas committee in relation to the fish kill. Anglers estimate that in the region of 40,000 fish died in the river Blackwater a fortnight ago.
[ Blackwater mass fish kill confirmed as due to pollution incidentOpens in new window ]
The Mallow-based TD said communication in relation to the cause of the kill has been very poor.
“It has been so frustrating. I have no faith at all in Inland Fisheries Ireland. The IFI are withholding information from public viewing. The only information on the IFI website is from last Friday when we last met them.
“The information from the IFI to the general public has been very bad from the start. They have to explain it in ordinary English to the ordinary member of the public as to what has happened to their river.”
Separately, the IFI has confirmed that an investigation has been launched after locals spotted a white discharge in the water on the north bank of the river Blackwater in Fermoy, Co Cork, on Thursday.
In a statement, the IFI said a probe is being carried out by their officers and Cork County Council officials who attended the scene on Friday morning in Fermoy.
“Cork County Council staff have taken water samples from the discharge point, and are further investigating to try identify the source of this discharge.
“At this juncture, it is not thought to be connected to the ongoing multi-agency investigation into fish mortalities on the river Blackwater.”
Jason Corcoran, who owns the Blackwater Trout and Salmon Fishery, said there seems to be no sense of urgency among about the new discharge among government bodies.
He was made aware that there was a substance in the river at 4.30pm on Thursday and travelled about 8km from his home to Fermoy to take footage on his phone.
“It is absolutely crazy,” Mr Corcoran said.
“I have an active trout and salmon fishery in Fermoy and I have a bed and breakfast in Fermoy which are all being hugely impacted.
“I am practically closed since the incident in Mallow. To be quite honest it is my living and my business. Everyone I had booked in since three weeks ago (in the fishery) has cancelled.”
Mr Corcoran said people have travelled from all over the world to fish in the river Blackwater and the recent fish kill is causing huge damage to his livelihood.
“I contacted IFI when the fish kill happened looking for direction and I am getting zero help from them. They stopped replying to me,” he said.
“I am a conservationist. I bring people in from all over to go fishing. I have been doing this all my life.
“The river temperature in Fermoy this morning is at in and around 16 degrees. The water discharge that was coming out of that drain was at over 24 degrees. That is fatal for every living thing downstream of that. I was shocked.”
Mr Corcoran said he fears for the future of various species in the river.
“It is very easy to irritate trout. Salmon are very robust. They will look after themselves as long as they are left alone to look after themselves.
“Where all of this is happening is in active spawning zones. There is no reproduction rate going to be able to come back in. Salmon are below conservation levels as we speak.”
In a statement, the IFI said it “will continue to engage with all stakeholders on this matter going forward”.
