Northern Ireland Environment Minister Michelle
McIlveen has officially launched a new £350,000
Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) competition
to encourage and stimulate the development of innovative
remediation technologies for the Mobuoy Road waste
site and other illegal waste sites.
An environmental lobby group is warning that cutbacks
or delays to the proposed clean-up of a toxic waste
dump in Cork Harbour would breach a legal agreement
between Ireland and the European Commission (EC).
The organisation which represents the majority
of the Naval Service says there can be no delay
in cleaning up a toxic waste dump close to its headquarters
in Cork harbour and claimed the Government has a
legal and moral obligation to safeguard those employed
in the area.
Work is due to start shortly on clearing gantry
cranes and other scrap metal from a toxic dump in
Cork harbour, as a prelude to making the site safe
and transforming it into a public park with playing
pitches.
Plans for a major clean-up of the former Irish
Steel site on Haulbowline Island in Cork Harbour
could be delayed after the Department of Public
Expenditure and Reform raised concerns about the
scale of expenditure on the project.
A number of building sites across Co Wicklow have
been sealed off over fears they may be contaminated
with naturally occurring asbestos, a cancer-causing
mineral, contained in material from a local quarry.
Convenience food manufacturer Greencore has set
aside an additional £4m (5.1m) to remediate its
former sugar site in Carlow, bringing the total
bill for rehabilitating its two former plants to
about £25m (32m).
Industrial activity, pollution and exploitation
are degrading the quality of soils located in and
around our cities, according to a report released
last week by the European Environment Agency (EEA).
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine,
Simon Coveney TD, has announced details of the timetable
for a two-and-a-half year programme of core remediation
works at Haulbowline Island.
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