By Aine Gormley
A UK water company has been permitted to pump more than a million litres of untreated sewage effluent into the North Channel every day, starting in summer 2011.
Northern Ireland Water (NIW) can avoid laws that other parts of the UK obey because it has no independent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The Northern Irish environment agency is run by the government. The agency objected to NIW’s proposal for a sewage works serving 5,680 people, allowing the government-owned company to provide only primary treatment of the sewage.
Primary treatment removes solids but not toxic waste. Normally, sewage works in England and Wales that pump into the sea for populations over 2,000 must also apply secondary treatment.
But Edwin Poots, the Northern Ireland environment minister, a member of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), had the final say. He chose to reject the opposition to the proposed works, and construction will begins later this autumn.
Alliance Party member Sean Neeson has warned that population growth means the agreed level of treatment is unlikely to meet future requirements from the European Commission. “This will leave only two options: a further upgrade or heavy fines, to be paid by ratepayers,” said Mr. Neeson.
In May 2008, the then-Environment Minister Arlene Foster declined the chance to bring in an independent EPA. Ms. Foster said: “I and my party take the role of environmental governance too seriously to externalise the organisation”. She resigned 13 days after her decision.
Tom Burke, who chaired the 2008 Review of Environmental Governance in Northern Ireland, said that because of Northern Ireland’s fragmented institution, he was not surprised that NIW is allowed to pollute the environment more than other UK water companies.
Great story! I wonder if any popular opposition has arisen since the decision was made?
Whereabouts is the outlet? I'm not planning on doing too much sea-bathing on the NI coast, but it'd be good to know if it's anywhere near a SSSI or nature reserve.