Sir, - Fr Sean McDonagh has raised some interesting points on media coverage of environmental issues (July 8th).
He referred specifically to the recent EPA oral hearing into the proposed issue of an Integrated Pollution Control licence to Aughinish Alumina Ltd and commented that the Aughinish company claims that its plant would close down should the EPA impose stricter controls on air emissions were "not thoroughly scrutinised."
Cork Environmental Alliance Ltd took part in the two-day oral hearing. Despite our limited resources, we challenged many of Aughinish's claims. However in one of your reports of the oral hearing (June 21st), no reference was made either to our participation, nor was there any mention of the evidence of our witness, Mr Peter Chandler.
Your report consisted solely of a rehash of the press releases of the testimony submitted by the Aughinish company witnesses which were presented to the journalists attending the hearing by Mr Frank Dunlop on behalf of Aughinish Alumina Ltd.
The CEA representatives challenged many points of this evidence, yet none of your reports referred to the valuable information extracted as a result of our questions put to these witnesses.
For example, it may interest your readers to learn that Alcan Aluminium Ltd, the Canadian parent company of Aughinish Alumina Ltd, earned a net income of $410 million in 1996. It also earned a net income of some $143 million in the first quarter of 1997. The Aughinish operating company in Askeaton is also now trading profitably. Were these revelations at the oral hearing not considered relevant in your report in the context of the Aughinish protestations that it might have to close down if required to curtail its pollution?
Your reports failed to mention that Aughinish Alumina Ltd refused absolutely to make available to the oral hearing a copy of the agreement between its parent company, Alcan, and the Industrial Development Authority on which it had based many of its original written arguments to the EPA. It also transpired at the hearing that the Integrated Pollution Control licensee (Aughinish Alumina Ltd) owned virtually no assets in Ireland and consequently its legal responsibility in relation to the huge red mud dump on the Shannon Estuary requires urgent clarification.
Although ignored by the media, these issues and many others were raised at the public hearing in the presence of the inspector appointed by the Environmental Protection Agency. Fr McDonagh rightly questions whether this agency is protecting the Irish environment. The EPA's final decision on the Aughinish pollution licence will answer his question. One would hope that the Irish media will be alert to the implications of the EPA decision. - Yours, etc. DERRY CHAMBERS, Cork Environmental Alliance, (on behalf of CEA Ltd.) Princes Street, Cork.