Councillors decidedly unhappy after Westport oil spillage
Trevor Quinn
The failure of contractors to give prompt notification to the relevant authorities and allow swift remedial action to take place, following the unfortunate oil spill on the Newport Road in Westport, was heavily criticised by local Councillors at last week’s meeting of Westport Town Council.
Acting Town Manager Padraig Walsh said the incident was only brought to the attention of the Town Council last Monday morning, a full three to four days after the spillage is alleged to have occurred. Cllr Ollie Gannon said that this was ‘unprofessionalism of the highest order’ stating that the incident was allowed to stay a problem over the course of the weekend.
“I condemn the fact that this was allowed to happen for three or four days without the local council or the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) being informed,” said Cllr Gannon.
Cllr Martin Keane said residents were bitterly disappointed with the developments and he stressed that strict action should be taken against the contractors involved
“I want to see that these contractors are fined, that everything is cleaned up and that they will pay the cost.”
The accident is believed to have occurred as a result of the rupturing of pipe on the Northern Feather factory site as construction works took place. Two oil tanks were in the vicinity of the works. One containing kerosene was emptied prior to the works, but the second containing heavy fuel oil allegedly leaked once works began and this was then released on to the The Demense Road and the surrounding area.
A number of residents and their families have expressed serious concerns about the spread of oil in the area and the massive inconvenience and hazardous conditions that have resulted due to the incident. Oil is believed to have travelled down close to a number of entry points to the lake and there are fears that this accident could also result in an environmental catastrophe.
Environmental experts ENVA have been contracted to carry out the treatment and disposal of the material and they will use chemical solvents to break up the offending material before removing it in sealed tankers. The cleanup procedure will be a relatively slow process but all parties are adamant that every aspect of the procedure will be carried out in a diligent and professional manner.
Cllr Brendan Mulroy said that the council acted very quickly and professionally after becoming aware of the incident and he commended the efforts of everyone involved. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have been notified and they are currently monitoring the situation closely. Cllr Keane said “A lot of this oil could have got into the manholes and there is a possibility of a small fish kill.”
Cathaoirleach Cllr Tereasa McGuire said the accident was very disappointing for Westport, particularly with all the work that has been done in relation to tourism and the tidy towns of late. She said it was very unfortunate to think that “in one or two hours all that work can be undone”.
Cllr Keith Martin said it is the only environmental crisis that he has ever witnessed as a public representative and he said he was thankful that they are very rare. “It was an avoidable accident. This type of thing shouldn’t happen if proper procedures are followed.”
