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Air Corps report a ‘horror story’

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  • #16
    GTTC, did you have much contact with the toxic fluids during your sojourn in the AC, any neg outcomes ?

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    • #17
      Plenty; I served in the Engine/NDT shop where most of the degreasing agents were used; nothing major so far and I'm 51 in a few weeks, just a tendency to have more colds and chest infections.

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      • #18
        It gets worse;

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        • #19
          If you're not checking out @accasinfo on Twitter you should. Their media feed paints a thousand words

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          • #20
            Joe public has a 1 in 6 chance of developing cancer anyways, i'm not saying the exposure to chlorinated compounds is good for you or belittling the health issues the bods concerned have but this stuff is pretty much impossible to prove. It sounds a lot like the Cobh people saying the "heavy industry" in cork harbour caused all these health issues.
            Everyone who's ever loved you was wrong.

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            • #21
              From what has been published so far I would not be surprised if there was a link to cancers in some circumstances I would have my doubts about how many are genuine.

              I suspect that once a fee has been agreed they will all sign the non disclosure line and be on there merry way.

              The ACCAS page and media commentry has a tendency to come across as a bit childish at times but they are getting the message out there all the same.

              I hope those who were genuinely affected get justice and those who were responsible are held accountable. Trouble is, every Tom, Dick or Harry who's had a nightmare in the last 20 years will want a piece of the gravy train.

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              • #22
                The chemical industry in Cork harbour environs was in infinitely better condition, regarding discharge of waste or exhausts than Irish Steel. Toxic dusts were routinely blown onto the naval base and even ships tied up alongside.

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                • #23
                  I would disagree slightly. Ifi pumped something in to the sky regularly that on a misty night put a nice green cloud over the upper estuary. Respiratory ailments were commonplace in children from the surrounding area. It was only when I moved to limerick that I realised this. Most of my class in secondary school had inhalers. Mostly those from towns on the harbour or overlooking.
                  When ifi went the green clouds went also.
                  For now, everything hangs on implementation of the CoDF report.

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                  • #24
                    Irish steel was a small plant really, was only open what 30 years? and weren't they on strike half the time? IFI is famous for what they released back in the day but in the scheme of things the Cork harbour area hardly counts as industrialised compared to areas in the UK/US/Germany where more industry would be in a smaller area on a larger scale operating for longer. It's impossible to prove that the factories in the area/chemicals dealt with in the Don caused an increase in cancer rates/asthma/whatever.

                    From the pics posted by that twitter page there was a massive shake up needed in the Don to emphasise the "going to jail" nature of H&S legislation, hopefully an education was administered.
                    Everyone who's ever loved you was wrong.

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                    • #25
                      Irish steel was a small plant really, was only open what 30 years? and weren't they on strike half the time?
                      I trust you never saw Irish Steel up close and personal in the mid to late 1980s and read the reports on the residues remaining?
                      Covid 19 is not over ....it's still very real..Hand Hygiene, Social Distancing and Masks.. keep safe

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                      • #26
                        Originally posted by hptmurphy View Post
                        I trust you never saw Irish Steel up close and personal in the mid to late 1980s and read the reports on the residues remaining?
                        Never saw it operating, I'll try did out those reports to read. It wasn't a big plant and it wasn't operating that long. If the place was such a big poison factory how is there surviving NS members, workers and Cobh residents? It's very convenient to blame everything on Irish steel when half of the cork harbour residents work in other polluting plants that did what they want at the time be it Whitegate/Pfizer/IFI and whoever else.
                        Everyone who's ever loved you was wrong.

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                        • #27
                          There was a steel mill operating in the site since the 1920s. Irish steel begun operating from there in the 1970s and increased the size and output. They also took over much of the island and increased its land area in the 80s through dumping of slag .
                          For now, everything hangs on implementation of the CoDF report.

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                          • #28
                            Aaaannnnnnd credibility for the CoS is gone.

                            Minister Paul Kehoe @defenceforces briefed on @IrishAirCorps high level of services & safety standards. @seancclancy & team, leaders in just safety culture. 1000km offshore IE nowhere to pull over, simply the best, #technicians. Watch out recruiting soon! https://t.co/EsDNA0vHd3
                            Leaders in just safety culture #IrishAirCorps? Are you for real Mark? Decades long toxic chemical exposure. Two former personnel dead since Xmas. Tell us what Air Corps poisoned us with! #FakeNews #Putinesque
                            #TechniciansExpendable #Dail

                            https://t.co/oUuQ8ojxx5

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                            • #29


                              Today I am passing you a list of 56 verified deaths of serving and former colleagues. Average age: 48'
                              The whistleblower claims the number of deaths has risen sharply.
                              15 hours ago 42,105 Views 35 Comments Share416 Tweet Email3
                              Air Corp and Navy members of the Captains Guard of Honour at the GPO Air Corp and Navy members of the Captains Guard of Honour at the GPO
                              Image: Eamonn Farrell via RollingNews.ie
                              A NEW PROTECTED disclosure has been sent to Defence Minister Paul Kehoe detailing a number of “verified deaths” of those allegedly affected by the Air Corps chemical scandal.

                              It’s the contention of a number of Air Corps members, who have since retired, that the effects of the chemicals they handled as part of their work contributed to dozens of workers at the Baldonnel Airfield becoming ill.

                              In a protected disclosure made by one of the workers last year, it has also been alleged that the partners of male members of the force suffered serious fertility issues and a number of miscarriages. Other children, according to the previous protected disclosure, are living with life-changing illnesses and, in some cases, have died.

                              But a new disclosure, submitted last week, claims that the number of untimely deaths from the scandal has “grown exponentially”.

                              The former Defence Forces members are currently suing the state for damages.

                              For the last two years, one whistleblower has been collecting information about the premature deaths of his colleagues in the Air Force. He accesses death records and is able to see the cause of death of the Air Corps member. The name, rank, cause of death and age of the person is then collated.

                              It has previously been alleged that the Defence Forces failed to protect workers from exposure to harmful chemicals which have been proven to cause various cancers and autoimmune diseases.

                              The new protected disclosure, seen by TheJournal.ie, reads: “Today I am passing you a list of 56 verified deaths of serving and former colleagues with an average age of death of 48. For my research I arbitrarily started from 1 January 1980 and only counted the deaths of persons who died at or before the State Pension age of 66. The list contains persons who died from medical reasons or suicide.

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                              • #30
                                Files on chemical exposure in the Air Corps have gone missing



                                The Department of Defence only sought to find the documents after their alleged destruction was raised in the Dáil — more than 12 months after it received the whistleblower’s claim.

                                A protected disclosure sent to the then Minister of Defence Simon Coveney in December 2015 warned that a named senior member of the Air Corps destroyed reports, dating back to the 1990s, which raised concerns about the levels of toxic chemicals in workshops in Casement Aerodrome.

                                The same official was named in a subsequent disclosure by a second whistleblower who also alleged the documents were destroyed.

                                The years given by the whistleblower for the destroyed documents match those of inspection reports of Casement Aerodrome that the Department itself admits cannot be found.

                                When asked previously if there are plans to investigate the documents’ disappearance, junior defence minister Paul Kehoe has told the Dáil that he has been “advised by the military authorities that there are no plans to carry out an investigation into why these reports cannot be located.”

                                The issue of the missing documents was raised in the Dáil by Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh in February 2017.

                                The following May, Mr Kehoe wrote to Mr Ó Snodaigh to say that he undertook to revert to military authorities about the reports — and that they confirmed they cannot be located.

                                The State is defending seven High Court cases taken by former Air Corps members who say their chronic illnesses — including cancer and brain disorders — because they were unduly exposed to toxic chemicals while cleaning and servicing aircraft.

                                The State has denied any responsibility in the cases, and in one case told the court that “no admission is made that the defendants exposed the plaintiff to dangerous chemicals or solvents whether on an ongoing basis or at all”.

                                Since 2015, a number of whistleblowers have made protected disclosures about working conditions at Casement Aerodrome, and have alleged that documents were destroyed as part of efforts to cover up the extent of the Air Corps’ knowledge of the problems.

                                One of those whistleblowers made a protected disclosure in December 2015 in which he alleged that a named official “wilfully destroyed evidence throughout the years”.

                                Mr Ó Snodaigh and Fianna Fáil TD Lisa Chambers have both seen copies of the documents in question and have raised their concern as to their contents.

                                In February 2017, Mr Ó Snodaigh told the Dáil he had “seen health and safety reports going back as far as 1995, all of which pointed specifically to the issues that were addressed in the Examiner newspaper”.

                                “This is a cover-up because the military authorities in Casement Aerodrome did not take the required steps; when it was highlighted to them that dangerous chemicals existed, they didn’t take those steps,” he said.

                                Last year, Ms Chambers wrote to then-Taoiseach Enda Kenny about the documents.

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