§ Lord Alderdiceasked Her Majesty's Government:
What representations they have received from Mr. Harold Avery in respect of control of pollution and fish stocks, and related alleged malpractices, on the River Maine; and [HL2307]
On what date Clinty Chemicals were first granted a consent by the Environment and Heritage Agency (Northern Ireland) to discharge effluent into the River Maine; and [HL2308]
On what date the Environment and Heritage Agency (Northern Ireland) first granted a consent under the Water Act to allow a fish farm on the River Maine at Carcinty Road, Cullybackey. [HL2310]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office (Lord Dubs)Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Environment and Heritage Service under its Chief Executive, Mr. Robert C. Martin. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter to Lord Alderdice from the Chief Executive of the Environment and Heritage Service, Mr. R. C. Martin, dated 24 June 1998.
As Chief Executive of the Environment and Heritage Service (EHS), I am responsible for the operational aspects of environmental protection including statutory responsibilities under the Water Act (Northern Ireland) 1972. While questions No. 805 and No. 807 are solely for my Service to answer, question No. 804 traverses a number of Government Departments and I have been asked to co-ordinate the reply.
Parliamentary Question No. 804
Mr. Avery has made numerous representations to Government Departments. The following is a summary.
DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT FOR NORTHERN IRELAND:
Environment and Heritage Service
- 5 letters covering a range of topics—hydro electric schemes, abstraction of water, compensation flows, aluminium, disposal of sludge from water treatment plants, sewage effluent discharges, disposal of sewage sludge, fluoridation, and industrial effluent discharges,
- 2 letters relating to a Cullybackey fish farm;
- 9 reports of water pollution; and
- 1 meeting with EHS officials to discuss water quality issues.
Water Service
7 letters covering a range of topics—the disposal of water treatment plant effluent and sludges containing aluminium, disposal of sewage sludge to agricultural land, abstraction of water for public supply, compensation water, fluoridation of water supplies, 55WA statutory provisions for the protection of fish stocks and the prevention of pollution, and the regulatory relationship between Water Service and Environment and Heritage Service.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR NORTHERN IRELAND:
Fisheries Division
- 27 letters on the hydro electric scheme at Randalstown;
- 1 letter on fish kill/pollution; and
- 1 letter on drainage work affecting fisheries.
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:
12 letters about fishery and related matters.
I would ask you to note that Mr. Avery often copied his letters widely, (including to Government Ministers), and that Departments would have referred letters which, in part, contained references to matters within another Department's remit for separate reply. The above summaries therefore will include multiple counting where Ministers or Departments were responding collectively or individually to the same letter.
Parliamentary Question No. 805
Clinty Chemicals does not have a consent to discharge effluent to the River Maine. The discharge from the Clinty Quarry site is currently consented in the name of Ready Mixed Concrete. The discharge consent (No. 1705/75) was issued on 12 September 1975. Environment and Heritage Service is in the process of reviewing the situation in order to transfer the discharge consent to Clinty Chemicals.
Parliamentary Question No. 807
Environment and Heritage Service granted a discharge consent (No. 465/96) to the Carcinty Road fish farm on 30 April 1996.
§ Lord Alderdiceasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many exemptions under Sections 58 and 59 of the Fisheries Act (Northern Ireland) 1966 have been granted on the River Maine each year since 1995; and to whom. [HL2309]
§ Lord Dubs56WA
Year 1995 4 exemptions to (i) Galgorm Manor; (ii) Gallagher Limited; (iii) A O'Neill; and (iv) Harperstown Power Limited. 1996 1 exemption to Hillmount Properties (NI) Ltd. 1997 2 exemptions to (i) A O'Neill; and (ii) Otterburn Trout Farm. 1998 1 exemption to Shane Castle.
§ Lord Alderdiceasked Her Majesty's Government:
On what date the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland first issued a permit to move fish and ova to a fish farm on the River Maine at Carcinty Road, Cullybackey. [HL2311]
§ Lord Alderdiceasked Her Majesty's Government:
What fisheries projects on the River Maine have been supported by European Peace and Reconciliation Funds. [HL2312]
§ Lord DubsApplications submitted by the Maine Angling Club in respect of fish pass improvements, in-river works and access improvements, the Demesne Anglers, Shane's Castle, Randalstown Angling Club and Gracehill, Galgorm and District Angling Club, all three in respect of in-river works and access for anglers, have been supported by European Peace and Reconciliation Funds.