Statement of Support for the March for Clean Water :: 3 November 2024 Belfast at 2pm
Derry and Strabane Councillor Shaun Harkin has given his support to the March for Clean Water, taking place at 2PM on November 3rd in Belfast.
The march, organised by Save Lough Neagh, coincides with a March For Clean Water in London and aims to highlight the ongoing environmental emergency in Lough Neagh and our waterways and the role government has played in the ecocide.
Harkin says immediate action is needed to protect our water resources:
“Pollution of Lough Neagh, Mobuoy and all waterways puts our health and future at severe risk. We need urgent investment in water and sewage infrastructure.
Lough Neagh is the largest freshwater lake in the British Isles, and is responsible for 40% of drinking water here. It has been subjected to over 2,000 pollution incidents in the past seven years.
The presence of blue-green algae, a potentially toxic substance, threatens both the ecosystem and the livelihoods of those who depend on the lake.
Stormont has prioritised the interests of huge polluters like Moy Park. Moy Park recently reported record profits, despite the litany of environmental breaches and questions surrounding tax.
This negligence has exacerbated the pollution crisis in and around Lough Neagh.
Stormont has not just failed to address the crisis, but actively contributed to the poisoning of our waterways with schemes like Going For Growth incentivising pollution and the greenlighting of destructive industrial dredging.
Minister Muir’s action plan doesn’t address the core issue that polluters must be held responsible.
Here in Derry, Mobuoy dump represents one of the most significant environmental threats in all of Ireland.
This illegal dump, containing over a million tonnes of waste, poses a severe risk to the River Faughan, which supplies a significant portion of Derry’s drinking water.
Despite millions being spent on managing the site, the long-term safety and remediation plans remain uncertain.
Parties who agreed to a Public Inquiry into how Mobuoy happened show no intention of implementing it.
NI Water has admitted to dumping millions of tonnes of untreated sewage into our waterways, including more than 1 million tonnes between the two bridges in Derry.
This is the result of decades of Stormont cuts and government policies putting profiteering ahead of all other concerns.
On Sunday we will be marching to demand a properly funded in-house water service that we can trust.
Clean water is a human right. What is happening at Lough Neagh, Mobuoy and our waterways puts our ecosystem under serious threat. We must fight now to save the future.”
