After a further year of intensive investigations co-ordinated by the Environmental Protection Agency, the deaths of hundreds of farm animals in Co Limerick remain a mystery.
The results published yesterday of tests carried out in the Askeaton-Ballysteen area during 1997 indicate that, whatever circumstances caused the deaths between 1988 and 1995, concentrated on the holdings of Mr Liam Somers and Mr Justin Ryan, they "are now absent or not of significant consequence".
This conclusion in the last interim report is in line with findings in reports issued by the EPA since 1995. It makes it increasingly likely that a definitive cause will not be found by the time the final report is issued next year.
Animal health, milk production and reproductive performance of cattle on the two farms "continued to show satisfactory results in 1997". Air quality including sulphur-dioxide levels showed conditions were "well within current and proposed more stringent EU limits for the protection of public health".
Measurement of pollutants in rainfall - sulphur, nitrogen and metals - indicated they are comparable with levels in other areas of Ireland and of Europe shown to be unaffected by acid rain pollution.
Animal health on other farms in the area which previously reported problems also proved to be satisfactory in 1997. Soils, herbage and silage samples on 21 of these additional farms were found to have mineral levels generally within normal ranges.
Examination of the health of trees in areas adjacent to Askeaton continue to show results on a par with national figures. Human health studies continued but were not scheduled for completion until this year. Investigations are being carried out by the Department of Agriculture's Veterinary Laboratory Service, Teagasc, the Mid-Western Health Board and Coillte, with the EPA acting as co-ordinator.
While there was improved performance on the farms, an outbreak of respiratory disease in cows was also investigated. "No definitive conclusion was reached regarding the cause of the outbreak," the report says.
Following a report of a study carried out by NUI Galway Biochemistry Department which indicated voles in the area had lower concentrations of certain liver enzymes than voles from other areas, and the suggestion this might be linked to environmental pollution, the Department of Agriculture agreed to fund a repeat study. This was completed last year but "has not confirmed the finding of the earlier study".
Mr Somers, who lost 96 animals, said the figures confirmed his view that conditions on his farm at Ballysteen were improving. On the likelihood that a definitive cause might not be found, he said: "So many cows do not lie down and die for nothing."
He believed "an exceptional toxic event" had affected the area, and the investigation, despite the use of advanced technology, began two years too late. In addition he claimed mistakes were made, notably that samples from his dead animals had not been kept for subsequent analysis.
The Somers and Ryan farms are some 8 km from the Aughinish Alumina plant, and further west are two ESB plants, Moneypoint and Tarbert. The three combined were responsible for 55 per cent of the national annual sulphur dioxide emissions between 1988 and 1994, according to a previous EPA report.
However, there was no evidence to establish a link between the deaths and any of these industries.
