Results 81-100 of 4,659 for speaker:Jennifer Whitmore
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Fish Kill in the River Blackwater: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: IFI and Cork County Council were notified on 11 August, while the EPA was notified on 12 August. Why was the EPA not notified until 12 August? It is also mentioned in the report that the first mortalities were spotted on 9 August. When and to whom was that notified?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Fish Kill in the River Blackwater: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: That was after the fact. The EPA, then, was notified on 12 August. As standard, would the EPA not be notified on day one? Who was responsible for notifying the EPA?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Fish Kill in the River Blackwater: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: Is that not a huge flaw in the system when discharges actually flow away? Often, it is not possible to quickly identify the point of discharge.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Fish Kill in the River Blackwater: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: Not the EPA.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Fish Kill in the River Blackwater: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: Although I am not sure whether it was on 11 or 12 August, at some stage, IFI said there were high water temperatures and low flow and deduced it to be a fungal disease. It deduced that it was a natural event. Is that correct?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Fish Kill in the River Blackwater: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: I have one simple question for the Marine Institute. Regarding the gill erosion seen in the samples, could that have been caused by particulate matter in the water or was caused by chemicals?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Fish Kill in the River Blackwater: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: Dr. Downes does not think it could have been erosion from particulate matter, is that correct?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Fish Kill in the River Blackwater: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: It sort of burned it?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Fish Kill in the River Blackwater: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: Is it possible for the two things to be present?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Fish Kill in the River Blackwater: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: I thank Dr. Downes. Mr Ryan stated that, last year, North Cork Creameries was on the national priority sites list but that it improved so it was taken off the list. That is quite a kind picture really, is it not? North Cork Creameries was on the national priority sites list in quarter 3 of 2021, quarters 2, 3 and 4 of 2022, and for all of 2023 and 2024. It went back on for two quarters...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Fish Kill in the River Blackwater: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: Yes.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Fish Kill in the River Blackwater: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: For two quarters.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Fish Kill in the River Blackwater: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: North Cork Creameries has been on the list for four years. That begs the question, which has been asked already, as to the point at which a licence suspended. Ms McDonald said that the EPA has never suspended any dairy licence. To clarify, has it ever suspended a licence?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Fish Kill in the River Blackwater: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: Not generally. Has the EPA ever suspended a licence?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Fish Kill in the River Blackwater: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: The EPA has never once revoked a licence from an entity. Is that correct?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Fish Kill in the River Blackwater: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: But the EPA has never suspended a licence.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Fish Kill in the River Blackwater: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: At what stage, after such significant non-compliance year in and year out, does the EPA decide that an entity is not in compliance with the terms of its licence and that its chances are gone?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Fish Kill in the River Blackwater: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: The EPA did not secure compliance in 2021, 2022, 2023 or 2024, and again now 2025. Am I correct in saying this licence was issued in 2019?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Fish Kill in the River Blackwater: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: I looked on the LEAP Online portal. North Cork Creameries had the licence for four or five months before the first non-compliance came in early 2020. The company has never been in compliance with the terms of its EPA licence for longer than two quarters over the entire period. How many chances does it deserve? The EPA's role is to protect our water systems. We are continually breaching...