Haulbowline island, at the time, was making headlines because of cancer-causing residue, left over from the Irish Steel plant that once occupied the land. It was recently confirmed that a cache of 500,000 tonnes of slag and toxic waste material were buried at the former steelworks. Yesterday Minister Gormley pledged to clean up the site for future use after an environmental report showed waste material posed no identifiable risk to human health.
The report, compiled in 2005 but, like the toxins, only seeping out later, shows high levels of several heavy metals at the plant, both in soil samples and water samples.
Chromium six, which causes cancer both by inhalation and by infecting groundwater, was revealed to be present in massive quantities at Haulbowline. The mineral is a highly toxic anti-corrosion agent used in the steel-making process, but which is gradually being phased out due to its toxicity.
The site is a blight on one of the finest natural harbours in the world, and home to one of the best regattas in the world. How can sailors make their views known on this subject? We’d like to hear your thoughts – [email protected]
