Nitrates penalties trade-off

INCREASED penalties for breaches of the Nitrates Regulations is the trade-off for the 250kg Irish derogation approved by the European Commission.

Daily fines were set at €100 for continuing breaches, and the maximum penalty at €3,000 (or up to six months in prison) when the regulations were first published last December.

When the 250kg derogation is formally put in place, which could happen by January 2007, according to the Department of the Environment, fines will be set at a higher level — possibly at the Water Pollution Act maximum of €30,000.