.On 22 July 2005 Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) was alerted to a fish kill affecting the River Roe, downstream of Limavady, Co. Londonderry. EHS officers immediately attended and confirmed that a major fish kill had affected about three kilometres of the River Roe. Fish continued to die in the affected stretch of the River Roe for several days afterwards.
A number of samples were collected, including samples from a pipe discharging from the nearby Seagate Technology Media (Ireland) Ltd plant at Dowland Road, Limavady.
Investigations within the plant revealed that the company had within the previous few days made changes to their effluent treatment process, including the use of a particular chemical to treat the effluent. Subsequent analysis confirmed that the effluent discharging from Seagate Technology Media (Ireland) Ltd into the River Roe contained this chemical. It was also found that this chemical was highly toxic and had been the cause of previous serious fish kills in other countries.
Notes to Editors:
- Seagate Technology Media (Ireland) Ltd were charged under Article 7 of the Water (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 with discharging poisonous, noxious or polluting matter to a waterway; and under Article 20 of The Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1973 with discharging effluent without consent.\
- The company pleaded guilty to both charges and were fined £3,000 on each count, resulting in a total fine of £6,000.
- The chemical involved in this incident was sodium dimethyldithiocarbamate.
- For media enquiries please contact DOE Press Office 028 9054 0014 or out of office hours, contact the EIS Duty Press Officer on pager 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.
