Cork's River Allow being monitored following discharge

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched an investigation into an incident on the River Allow following the discharge recently.

The EPA told The Echo that it was notified by North Cork Creameries in Kanturk on Sunday June 22, that a discharge had occurred to the River Allow.

“The operator reported that the discharge to the river was stopped at 10am that Sunday morning. 

"EPA has confirmed with Inland Fisheries Ireland that they were onsite on the Sunday and confirmed that a discharge of polluting matter had occurred,” a spokesperson for the EPA has said.

On Monday, June 30 the “EPA instructed the operator to continue removing effluent produced in the course of onsite activities for recovery at authorised facilities. 

"This restriction will only be lifted when EPA are satisfied that the risk of a repeat incident has been eliminated," said a spokesperson.

In June 2024, the River Allow, a tributary of the Munster Blackwater located near Kanturk, experienced a major fish kill following a contamination of the water which was linked to the nearby Freemont Water Treatment Plant, operated by Uisce Eireann.

The chemical spill affected an 8km stretch of the river with the species of fish discovered dead including juvenile Atlantic salmon, brown trout, lamprey, eel, stone loach, roach, and dace.

As well as being an abundant salmon and trout habitat, the river supports a population of freshwater pearl mussel, one of the 365 most endangered species in the world.

The EPA said that there are “no reports of a fish kill that might be linked to the discharge have been received by the Agency,” following this most recent incident.

“Following receipt of the incident notification, EPA inspectors visited the site on Monday June 23. During the inspection it was confirmed that the discharge point had been shut off," it said. 

"The operator reported that the incident occurred due to an unexpected surge "shock load" of whey from a cleaning activity being discharged to the wastewater treatment plant which resulted in contaminated effluent being released to the River Allow,” the EPA said.

North Cork Creameries confirmed to the EPA that as of Monday, June 30, the discharge has not recommenced, and that the effluent continues to be removed from the site to authorised waste facilities.

Local anglers have reported that the river below the outfall point has been voluntarily closed to fishing for 3.5km downstream, according to the EPA.

A spokesperson for Kanturk & District Trout Anglers met with North Cork Creameries to discuss the condition of the river.

“EPA is aware that a local angling club has put in place a suspension of the use by its members of a stretch of the River Allow for approximately 3km downstream of the effluent discharge point,” a spokesperson for the agency said.

The EPA has opened a compliance investigation into the incident and will require that corrective actions are put in place to eliminate the risk of similar incidents occurring in the future.