Gale force winds and a high tide last night caused potentially toxic waste to seep into the sea at Haulbowline in Cork harbour, according to an environmental engineer.
Cllr Marcia Dalton visited the site and said it was plain to see that material was seeping from the site into the sea.
Dozens of concerned local residents watched as the centre of the toxic rubbish tip began to fill with rain and sea water, apparently blown in by a combination of strong southerly winds and a rising tide.
The slag heap has been flattened in recent days by extensive soil analysis being carried out to discover how hazardous the waste material is.
Last month it was revealed that the waste contains dangerous levels of the cancer-causing chemical Chromium 6.
A spokesperson for the Environmental Protection Agency said that it was involved only in an advisory capacity in relation to the site and that the Department of the Environment was the ‘lead agency’.
Last month Minister for the Environment John Gormley said his department is compiling a report on the site and its future. It is expected to be complete in the autumn.
