Investigation into Lough Derg pollution

Attempts to trace the source of a petrol-like substance which poured into Lough Derg at Ballina in Co Clare are expected to resume this morning.

Boaters on Lough Derg discovered the pollution near a county council marina on the Ballina side of the lake on Wednesday evening. Local Coast Guard services from Killaloe, Co Clare, and Ballina, Co Tipperary, and Tipperary North County Council, as well as local fire services, tracked the pollution to a small river near a council marina on the Ballina side of the lake. The council placed booms around the spill to prevent its spread and work tracking the substance back along the stream got under way.

The council's senior environment engineer, Frank Halloran, said he does not expect the pollution to have come from a boat in the area.

"There is a pretty large pipe from the stream going into the Shannon in the area of the council marina which is near the bridge. We are following that stream back. It may be the case that the petroleum-like substance got into the surface water through ground water and if that is so we think it may have originated in the northeast of Ballina," he said. Mr Halloran added that the council had the power to recoup the costs of the clean up from whoever was found to be responsible.

"You can take it we will be seeking full costs but we have a bit more work to do yet. We were out there till 1am and back there again early today. The main thing is that the booms are in place."