Since the grounding of the MV Alta cargo ship in Ballyandreane, Ballycotton on 16th February 2020, Cork County Council has been working through a series of actions in line with its obligations under the Merchant Shipping Salvage and Wreck Act 1993.
The immediate response involved intervention to mitigate pollution risk arising from oils on board which was carried out in February 2020. Structural assessment of the vessel was carried out in March 2020, repeated in October of the same year, and will continue every 6 months. A final report on the environmental and ecological assessment of the wreck location was completed in September of last year.
Over the course of December 2020 and January 2021, the Council recruited international specialist consultants to carry out an assessment to prepare an “Inventory of Hazardous Materials” in the fabric of the vessel. An environmental assessment of this inventory will inform what interventions may be required next.
Cork County Council continues to liaise with the relevant state agencies. The Council has engaged with government departments to seek their view on the future of the wreck and to seek funding assistance in the event of a significant intervention being required.
To date there has been no confirmation of ownership of the wreckage.
Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Mary Linehan Foley commented;
Through its engineers, Roads team and local operators, Cork County Council was able to respond quickly and effectively to the grounding of the MV Alta, securing the dangerous site and mitigating pollution risk. The ship presents a very real danger to anyone close to it, and due to its location, it is not safely accessible. To respect the private property of the local landowners, and to avoid life threatening injury I ask everyone to stay away from the wreckage.
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