The Northern Ireland Evironment Agency (NIEA) have confirmed they are investigation the pollution of Armagh’s Folly River.
A concerned member of the public contacted this publication after discovering several fish deceased on the banks of the river alongside a pungent chemical smell.
The reporting person – who wished to remain anonymous – said he believed around 50 fish to have died.
Armagh I contacted NIEA as a result of the report and were informed that an investigation is now underway.
“The Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) is investigating a pollution incident affecting the Ballynahone River, also known as the Folly River, in County Armagh,” said a spokesperson.
“The NIEA received a report from a member of the public on Sunday, November 1, and an inspector attended the area that day to assess the incident and its potential environmental impact.
“Investigations continued Monday and Tuesday and will continue Wednesday, November 4, to attempt to identify the source of the pollution.
“At this stage, from investigations, a significant number of fish mortalities have unfortunately been confirmed. The joint investigation by the department’s Inland Fisheries and NIEA staff is continuing”.
Meanwhile, DUP MLA Gareth Wilson, speaking after this week’s DAERA Committee, said: “I raised the concerning issue of the pollution incident which resulted in fish kill on the Folly river in Armagh. I explained my concerns to committee colleagues under Any Other Business at the close of the meeting and asked that a briefing be sought from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency to better understand how they prioritise pollution incidents in our rivers and how quickly they react.”
He added: “It would seem counterproductive to have any delay in actually going out on site to ascertain the type of pollution and ideally the source, in order to quickly stem any further flow of contaminants or toxins and ultimately investigate how it happened and who caused it.
“It is always disheartening and concerning to learn of pollution incidents and especially so given the damage to our river ecosystems, in my opinion speed is essential in responding to incidents and I will be very interested in the response from NIEA.”
