A Clare environmental group is criticising the EPA for granting Aughinish Alumina dredging and dumping licenses, claiming they’ve ‘failed to adhere to their own regulations’.
Research of the refinery found that more than half of the groundwater monitoring wells at the facility exceeded EU thresholds for the presence of aluminium, zinc and arsenic.
In a statement to Clare FM, Aughinish Alumina states there ‘is no impact beyond the boundary of the facility’ and that the plant is ‘engaged in a Corrective Action Plan in relation to groundwater impacts confined to specific areas beneath the refinery’.
Futureproof Clare Spokesperson, Dr Sineád Sheehan, says the pollution of the Shannon Estuary has the potential for serious impacts to human health.
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Statement from Aughinish Alumina
Aughinish Alumina’s quarterly and annual reports to the EPA on water quality are a matter of public record.
Monitoring undertaken as part of the EPA-approved groundwater programme confirms that there is no impact beyond the boundary of the facility. Aughinish is engaged in a Corrective Action Plan in relation to groundwater impacts confined to specific areas beneath the refinery. It includes additional groundwater monitoring, recovery and preventative engineering measures. The conclusion of the most recent annual groundwater review as submitted to the EPA (for 2025) found that overall groundwater quality across the site continued to improve as a result of the Corrective Action Plan.
Aughinish Alumina is committed to operating to the highest environmental standards while continuously investing in measures to improve environmental performance.
