EPA receives almost 800 complaints about industrial and waste facilities

Members of the public made almost 800 complaints about industrial and waste facilities to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last year, with more than half of these relating to bad smells and odours.

The complaints were detailed in the EPA's Industrial and Waste Licence Enforcement report for 2018.

The report details compliance and enforcement in some 800 licenced facilities throughout the country. The EPA is responsible for monitoring the implementation of environmental legislation.

Some 799 complaints were made by members of the public last year. This represented a 22% reduction from the previous year.

The complaints focused on just 15% of the licenced sites, the EPA added, noting that the remaining 85% did not receive any complaints.

In fact, 34% of complaints were related to just three sites: the Arrow Group in Kildare, which was the subject of 145 complaints, Glanbia Foods Ireland Limited in Cork, which was the subject of 66 complaints, and Rosderra Irish Meats Group (Edenderry), which was the subject of 63 complaints.

Of the close to 800 complaints, 57% related to odour issues or bad smells, 27% related to noise and 7% related to air quality. There were also complaints relating to water quality, flies and waste.

The report notes that, in general, the level of compliance amongst industrial and waste licenced sites in Ireland last year was good.

It also details prosecutions undertaken against sites which breach or fail to comply with legislation.

The EPA can initiate prosecutions in district courts or submit files to the Director of Public Prosecutions in more serious cases. It is done in response to non-compliance with environmental legislation or the conditions of licence.

The main issues for which prosecutions were taken in 2018 include "breach of emission limit values, causing nuisance/impairment of the environment, failure to notify incidents, infrastructural issues, documentation and records, bunding, and waste management".

There were 15 prosecutions undertaken, 13 of which resulted in convictions.

Overall, it resulted in €241,852 in fines, costs and donations.

EPA officers also detected more than 1,600 instances of non-compliance with legislation last year. One-third of these related to the exceedance of emission limits and 7% were for the non-notification of incidents.

Some 25% of non-compliances were for the food and drink sector, with non-hazardous waste transfer stations responsible for the second-highest portion.

Some 264 compliance investigations were open in 2018, a decrease from 316 in 2017. More than 90 of these were new investigations, with the remaining ones ongoing.

Almost half - 46% - of these related to risk to water quality and 41% were a direct result of EPA site inspections. Air quality, waste and odour/smells were the next most frequent reasons.

More than half - 52% - of the compliance investigations opened in 2018 were also closed last year.

In general, the EPA determined that compliance "was good" last year.

It notes that the food and drink sector "continues to face challenges in maintaining environmental compliance". Some 15 sites were identified as priority sites for enforcement last year, with six of these in the food and drink sector.

Complaints from the public remain an issue for the waste sector, and 71% of complaints now relate to waste transfer sections.

"Further improvements are required in this sector to maintain and improve compliance rates," EPA said.

Commenting on the report, Darragh Page, EPA Programme manager, office of environmental enforcement said: "The EPA targets its enforcement efforts at the most non-compliant facilities. The publication of the National Priority Sites system last year has continued to drive environmental compliance and much-needed investment in environmental infrastructure.”