LOCAL authorities
across the North West could face fines of between
€5,000 and €500,000 after a damning report revealed
that at least half the sewage plants in the
constituency do not meet EU standards. Effluent
tested at several plants in counties Clare, Donegal,
Galway, Mayo and Sligo is being discharged directly
into the sea and rivers with little or no treatment,
according to the study by the Environmental
Protection Agency. The report focuses on wastewater
discharges during 2006 and 2007.
The EPA has warned that it will take legal action
unless local authorities dramatically improve the
operation of their sewage works. Ireland North West
MEP Marian Harkin said councils had better be
warned. "Europe has provided significant funding to
upgrade our sewage works. It will take local
authorities to court if the facilities don’t meet
the grade," she said.
The report singles out Clifden in Galway, Enniscrone
in Sligo and Killybegs in Donegal as among the towns
with sewage facilities that were totally inadequate
for the size of the populations they serve.
Seven rivers across the North West were described as
‘seriously polluted’. They are Maggy’s Burn, Swilly
Burn and the Bredagh in Donegal, Clarinbridge in
Galway, Tubbercurry in Sligo, the Jiggy River in
Roscommon and the Brosna in Westmeath.
Inadequate sewage treatment:
Moville (no treatment)
Killybegs (no treatment)
Bundoran and Kilcar (preliminary treatment)
Buncrana (primary treatment)
Carrigart (primary treatment)
Castlefin (primary treatment)
Downings (primary treatment)
Dunfanaghy (primary treatment)
Rathmullan (primary treatment) |
