Green Party Cllr Cadogan Enright has expressed concern as local anglers report a new sewage spill over the weekend.
Quoile Angler Trevor Love became concerned on Sunday afternoon when sanitry waste was seen in the water near the drain at the Downpatrick Sewage Works.
Angler Trevor Love said, “I was at the same spot at 4pm on Saturday and there was no waste in this part of the water so I believe a spill or deposit from the sewage drain may have happend on Saturday night or Sunday morning.”
Cllr Enright said, ‘This concerns me greatly because very recently we witnessed a devastating fish kill in the Quoile River that resulted in thousands of dead fish.’
The Green Party has been critical of the Environment Agency’s official report into the recent fish kill which admits that relevant stretches of the river was not investigated following the pollution incident. Thousands of fish were killed and the area’s biodiversity was seriously damaged . The Green Party believe that if there has been another sewage spill it further adds to the lack of confidence in the NIEA report.
Cllr Enright said: “The Environment Agency’s official report into the pollution of the Quoile River highlights the inability of this Agency to get to the bottom of pollution incidents. The Agency admits in the report that it did not test the area up-stream of the Belfast Road in Downpatrick and did not cover the Plank Drain behind ASDA and McDonalds on the Ballyduggan Road.
“This is the very area which caused most concern to local anglers and environmentalist. No fish died above this point and have written to the NIEA asking them to investigate the Rivers Agency. We believe that this was where the evidence in the case could have been detected and are concerned about a build-up of toxic mud at the Belfast Road Bridge’.
“Now we may have another sewage spill on our hands which could prove further that the recent fish kill was not a result of natural events.”
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