OFFICIALS from the Rivers Agency were turned away from accessing the site of a controversial oil drilling project at Woodburn Forest last month, it has emerged.
Concerns had been raised by protesters about the potential effect of the work on the drainage system and banks of the watercourse, and in a written response seen by The Irish News to one campaigner, Rivers Agency staff said they had made two attempts to visit the site to monitor progress.
A Rivers Agency official wrote: "Attempts to visit the site on the 25th March 2016 were unsuccessful due to the restricted access to a live construction site."
The exact details of the visit on Good Friday March 25th remain unclear. InfraStrata did not respond to a request for comment from The Irish News.
Just two days later, an oil spill was observed on the land, which has since been confirmed by both InfraStrata and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.
The official added: "A Rivers Agency Engineer has since visited the site...and determined that the existing channel has not been rendered less effective for drainage purpose and therefore enforcement action is not appropriate."
The Rivers Agency said that "on completion on the drilling operation" at Woodburn "the original water channel is to be reinstated".
The Rivers Agency official added: "Rivers Agency wrote to the applicant advising that the banks of the watercourse should be protected to ensure the free flow of water within the channel is maintained.
"Rivers Agency have approved the application for consent for the temporary diversion of the watercourse and the temporary infilling of the existing channel."
Sinn Féin East Antrim MLA Oliver McMullan was due to meet InfraStrata yesterday to raise the spill and "other questions about the whole thing."
Mr McMullan said: "I don't think this is good enough. You need to be giving the public confidence."
The MLA also claimed that NI Water had not responded to a series of questions he submitted "more than a month ago" and called on environment minister Mark H Durkan to intervene.
On Monday night, members of Mid and East Antrim Council met for a full council meeting but the session went "into committee" during a discussion about a potential judicial review of the project.
The decision meant members of the public and the press were excluded from listening to proceedings.
