Thirteen submissions on Aughinish plans to dump at sea

THIRTEEN groups and individuals have written to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over a bid by Aughinish Alumina to secure permission to dump at sea.

The firm, owned by Russian giant Rusal, is seeking the go-ahead from the regulator to dispose of 668,454 tonnes of dredged material over an eight year period.

This, the company says, will be done across a site measuring 8.52 hectares.

A major employer in west Limerick, Rusal has close to 500 people on its books, plus 400 contractors.

It’s the role of the EPA to approve or reject the licence.

Among the parties to make submissions to the agency were Environmental Trust Ireland and Futureproof Clare.

The latter group wrote to the regulator objecting to the award of any new licence.

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Emanuela Ferrari of Futureproof Clare stated the group is concerned about what she described as the “rampant industrialisation” of the Shannon Estuary, and the “proliferation of polluting industries into the area.”

They argue that a proposed increase in dredging the river would impact the seabed habitat as well as the water quality.

The operations, which will take place for 21 days at a time if approved, they feel would cause “significant noise disturbance.”

“All this has potential to cause detrimental effects to wildlife in the area which is one of the most important sites in Europe for bottlenose dolphins,” the group has said.