THE SPILLAGE of a chemical additive and a small amount of oil during construction work at the Corrib gas landfall in Co Mayo have had “no ecological impact”, according to monitoring consultants for Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan.
Shell EP Ireland said a full incident report “is being completed” into the accidental spillage of a “mixture of liquids, including corrosion inhibitor dye” at the landfall works site at Glengad on July 29th.
The spillage, estimated at 20 litres by the Minister’s environmental consultant, EirEco, and at 15 litres by Shell, flushed into a fully enclosed trench where it mixed with rainwater.
Shell said an environmental response team pumped the liquid out of the trench into sealed containers, which were removed to a waste facility and that the liquid is biodegradable.
It said yesterday that all relevant statutory bodies had been informed and a full report was being completed. The chemical additive is used as part of “hydro-testing” of the 83km offshore pipeline, which has now been laid in full from Glengad out to the manifold at the Corrib gas field.
A “minor” oil spill reported to the Minister’s monitor at Glengad in late June occurred during low water and contamination was confined primarily to the causeway.
An oil spill contingency plan was initiated immediately, the consultancy says in its report to the Department of Energy.
The ecological monitoring of the Corrib gas pipeline “near-shore”, landfall and offshore works began in the first week of June, just under two months after Mr Ryan approved an environmental management plan (EMP) for work on the offshore section of the pipeline up to the land valve at Glengad.
Terms of reference given to the consultancy, EirEco of Carron, Co Clare, include conducting spot checks on construction activities at Glengad to ensure the EMP is being adhered to by Shell and its clients, and spot checks to ensure that impacts on terrestrial/coastal habitats and species were being “kept to a minimum”.
The consultancy is also obliged to conduct spot checks from land vantage points by telescope to ensure the vessel code of conduct was being adhered to, and pay particular attention to “activities that would require a marine mammal observer on board”.
The reports note a significant number of sightings of five whale and dolphin species.
Monitoring of the sand martin colony at Glengad has also been recorded.
The consultancy noted at the outset that there was a reduced number of sand martins in June, but recorded on July 3rd that the breeding success of the birds to date “suggests the site works are not having a negative impact on the colony at Glengad”.
The consultancy reports record meetings with officials at Shell offices in Belmullet, but delete the names of those involved. The report also deletes name or names of those accompanying the consultant on site.
A department spokeswoman said that this was in line with standard practice applied by consultants working on its behalf.