AN INVESTIGATION HAS begun after 70kgs of plastic debris that were used as part of the reconstruction of the disused Dún Laoghaire baths were cleared from the Dublin coast over the weekend.
The clear up is continuing; Dún Laoghaire’s local authority announced today that it was liaising with the construction company and environmental consultants on the issue.
Reports of large amounts of tiny plastic pins in the water around Dun Laoghaire were made to the council on Friday, prompting a clean up effort over the weekend.
One local said that the plastic pieces were “all over the Forty Foot, all the way up to the swimming baths”.
Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council said that SIAC/Mantovani Group, who are the main contractors on the Dún Laoghaire Baths project, and council crews teamed up to clear the affected areas over the weekend.
70 individuals and specialist environmental damage team working today, it said in a statement this afternoon.
Underwater, air and shoreline assessments have been carried out the weekend to assess the full extent of the incident, and environmental experts are assessing the damage to marine creatures and other wildlife.
SIAC have ceased any further concrete marine works until “confidence has been restored in their works”, the council said.
While SIAC initial results from water quality test shows no chemical change in water quality, the Council are still awaiting its own results.
About the restoration project
The Dún Laoghaire baths have been derelict for over 20 years. At a cost of €10 million and over the course of 20 months, a redevelopment of the coastal feature is planned.
It includes a new public café linked to an outdoor terrace with views over Dublin Bay, along with studio workspaces for artists and new life guard facilities.
A new jetty and changing areas will provide access to the water’s edge for swimmers and landing points for canoes, kayaks and other water sports equipment.
It’s intended that the refurbished baths will open in the spring of 2020.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say