North Cork Creameries has adamantly stated that it is not connected with the recent fish kill that took place on 12 August in the River Blackwater in the area of Lombardstown, Mallow, Co Cork.
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is investigating the fish kill, in which up to 10,000 fish – mainly brown trout – died earlier this month.
“There is nothing at any level of concentration or content in the wastewater effluent outflow from North Cork Creameries that could possibly have caused the appalling levels of injury and death to fish that took place near Lombardstown - which is a full 10km away from our facility,” according to the co-op.
“The fish kill is a deeply serious and distressing event for the entire community. But it is an equally serious issue, and essential, to ensure accountability that is based on evidence, not assumption.
"Unfounded claims, speculation or selective use of information risk misleading the public and unfairly damaging reputation,” it said.
North Cork Creameries has said it has been working with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over a period of months to ensure compliance with the wastewater emission licence which it holds.
Following the incident, the EPA stated that their investigation had found no causal link between our site and the fish kill in the River Blackwater
“This already existing EPA process should not and must not be misinterpreted or conflated into the Blackwater incident.
“Following the incident, the EPA stated that their investigation had found no causal link between our site and the fish kill in the River Blackwater.
"Furthermore, local EPA officials themselves have recently described water quality in the River Allow (both upstream and downstream of our facility) as 'good', which is the second-highest grade for river water quality (next to high) on the five-level grading scale used by the EPA,” it said.
Water tests
The EPA and IFI conducted tests up and down the length of the relevant river tributaries and the River Blackwater in the affected area on 12 August and in subsequent days - and they continue to carry out tests, it stated.
On 12 August, EPA officials attended and observed normal fish activity in the River Allow beside North Cork Creameries’ facility.
“We are aware of the ‘grab water’ test results issued by the EPA, following samples taken on 12 August at our wastewater outflow, finalised on 22 August and published on 28 August.
"We also make our own regularly occurring test results available to the EPA in compliance with our licence and we will liaise with them to cross-correlate this data,” it said.
The co-op said that “in spite of the non-compliant water quality test result noted in the immediate area of our licensed wastewater outflow, it needs to be understood that the water contents and their levels identified by that test are not at any level that could possibly have killed fish or caused the extreme chemical injury to fish that took place 10km away in the River Blackwater near Lombardstown”.
It added that it also engaged qualified environmental and ecology consultants to examine and take independent samples from the River Allow (a Blackwater tributary) at its location on 13 and 14 August.
“These also confirmed overall normal water quality and overall healthy fish activity.
Some of the fish killed in the River Blackwater. \ Conor Arnold on Facebook
“It is essential for the EPA to publish reports from the water quality samples taken for every facility that they have examined along the waterway following the incident,” it said.
The Cork-based co-op said that an official from the EPA stated on Thursday 28 August that it was their view that “'the fish kill commenced near the Lombardstown area', which is 10km downstream of our location”.
“On 12 August, there was no fish kill identified in the tributary River Allow beside our facility. The overall river quality and fish presence was considered to be normal.
“It is entirely impossible, wrong and incorrect for anyone to state that we are connected with the fish kill 10km away in the greater River Blackwater,” it stated.
Social media
The co-op also said it is also aware of “assorted rumour-mongering and innuendo circulating on social media which serves only to mislead.
"We encourage concerned parties to focus only on evidence rather than fuelling speculation, unnecessary exaggeration or unfounded rumour that distracts from the real issue, which is to establish the truth of what caused this incident.”
We encourage concerned parties to focus only on evidence rather than fuelling speculation
North Cork Creameries said it is totally committed to environmental protection and sustainability on every level and have made and are continuing to make major investments in this area.
“We engage with the EPA proactively and co-operatively, both in compliance with our licensing requirements and in line with our commitment to environmental sustainability throughout the entirety of our operations, and we will continue to do so at all times,” it concluded.
IFI, Cork County Council, the EPA, the Marine Institute and Uisce Éireann are to meet again early this week to progress the investigation.
Read more
'No evidence' bacteria responsible for Blackwater fish kill - IFI
North Cork Creameries not connected to large fish kill
10,000 fish or more killed in River Blackwater
North Cork Creameries has adamantly stated that it is not connected with the recent fish kill that took place on 12 August in the River Blackwater in the area of Lombardstown, Mallow, Co Cork.
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is investigating the fish kill, in which up to 10,000 fish – mainly brown trout – died earlier this month.
“There is nothing at any level of concentration or content in the wastewater effluent outflow from North Cork Creameries that could possibly have caused the appalling levels of injury and death to fish that took place near Lombardstown - which is a full 10km away from our facility,” according to the co-op.
“The fish kill is a deeply serious and distressing event for the entire community. But it is an equally serious issue, and essential, to ensure accountability that is based on evidence, not assumption.
"Unfounded claims, speculation or selective use of information risk misleading the public and unfairly damaging reputation,” it said.
North Cork Creameries has said it has been working with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over a period of months to ensure compliance with the wastewater emission licence which it holds.
Following the incident, the EPA stated that their investigation had found no causal link between our site and the fish kill in the River Blackwater
“This already existing EPA process should not and must not be misinterpreted or conflated into the Blackwater incident.
“Following the incident, the EPA stated that their investigation had found no causal link between our site and the fish kill in the River Blackwater.
"Furthermore, local EPA officials themselves have recently described water quality in the River Allow (both upstream and downstream of our facility) as 'good', which is the second-highest grade for river water quality (next to high) on the five-level grading scale used by the EPA,” it said.
Water tests
The EPA and IFI conducted tests up and down the length of the relevant river tributaries and the River Blackwater in the affected area on 12 August and in subsequent days - and they continue to carry out tests, it stated.
On 12 August, EPA officials attended and observed normal fish activity in the River Allow beside North Cork Creameries’ facility.
“We are aware of the ‘grab water’ test results issued by the EPA, following samples taken on 12 August at our wastewater outflow, finalised on 22 August and published on 28 August.
"We also make our own regularly occurring test results available to the EPA in compliance with our licence and we will liaise with them to cross-correlate this data,” it said.
The co-op said that “in spite of the non-compliant water quality test result noted in the immediate area of our licensed wastewater outflow, it needs to be understood that the water contents and their levels identified by that test are not at any level that could possibly have killed fish or caused the extreme chemical injury to fish that took place 10km away in the River Blackwater near Lombardstown”.
It added that it also engaged qualified environmental and ecology consultants to examine and take independent samples from the River Allow (a Blackwater tributary) at its location on 13 and 14 August.
“These also confirmed overall normal water quality and overall healthy fish activity.
Some of the fish killed in the River Blackwater. \ Conor Arnold on Facebook
“It is essential for the EPA to publish reports from the water quality samples taken for every facility that they have examined along the waterway following the incident,” it said.
The Cork-based co-op said that an official from the EPA stated on Thursday 28 August that it was their view that “'the fish kill commenced near the Lombardstown area', which is 10km downstream of our location”.
“On 12 August, there was no fish kill identified in the tributary River Allow beside our facility. The overall river quality and fish presence was considered to be normal.
“It is entirely impossible, wrong and incorrect for anyone to state that we are connected with the fish kill 10km away in the greater River Blackwater,” it stated.
Social media
The co-op also said it is also aware of “assorted rumour-mongering and innuendo circulating on social media which serves only to mislead.
"We encourage concerned parties to focus only on evidence rather than fuelling speculation, unnecessary exaggeration or unfounded rumour that distracts from the real issue, which is to establish the truth of what caused this incident.”
We encourage concerned parties to focus only on evidence rather than fuelling speculation
North Cork Creameries said it is totally committed to environmental protection and sustainability on every level and have made and are continuing to make major investments in this area.
“We engage with the EPA proactively and co-operatively, both in compliance with our licensing requirements and in line with our commitment to environmental sustainability throughout the entirety of our operations, and we will continue to do so at all times,” it concluded.
IFI, Cork County Council, the EPA, the Marine Institute and Uisce Éireann are to meet again early this week to progress the investigation.
Read more
'No evidence' bacteria responsible for Blackwater fish kill - IFI
North Cork Creameries not connected to large fish kill
10,000 fish or more killed in River Blackwater
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