An outflow pipe near the Seatown Road was found to be pouring oil into the Broadmeadow Estuary.
Fingal County Council staff worked to stop the flow of oil from the pipe, using oil absorbant ‘booms’, and have started an investigation to locate the source.
The Special Area of Conservation, where recently an Osprey bird was found to be feeding, is one of the most highly sensitive and protected landscapes in the country – it is particularly rich in birdlife.
The spill came from a pipe near to the roundabout where the Seatown Industrial Road meets the Estuary. The pipe channels run off from the nearby industrial estate but is connected to drain systems that extend all the way to Swords Main St.
The investigation is using to CCTV and trying to trace the source manhole to manhole.
Cllr Ian Carey said:
“It’s unfortunate to hear of this but it is frankly inevitable when you have drains leading directly from an industrial area into a special area of conservation. The drain system seems to be quite complex here and is coming from a huge area. It is going to make finding the source very difficult.
“This really makes clear the value of sustainable urban drainage systems, which hold water in attenuation ponds before the move slowly to watercourses. If this was in place here it would be much more likely that we could intercept an oil spill before it makes its way to a sensitive habitat.
“I want to commend the Fingal staff here who have clearly worked quickly to try and limit the damage. I went to the site today and there is no visible sign of oil or smell.”
