Smokey coal blamed for poor air quality

IRELAND’S environmental watchdog has blamed smokey coal for poor air quality in smaller towns.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s latest air quality report found that Ennis, Co Clare, and Longford town were the worst affected.

Both towns were found to have higher levels of air pollution than Dublin City centre.

A spokesperson for the EPA said Ennis was one of the four towns where the sale of bituminous coal has been banned since August.

The other towns are Clonmel, Co Tipperary, Carlow, and Athlone, Co Westmeath, and all are expected to show improvements in air quality over the winter.

Irish air quality is also expected to improve as a result of regulations introduced this year that require all coal sold to have a sulphur content of no more than 0.7%.

Overall, air quality in Ireland was found to be high and to meet all EU standards.

However, due to traffic, the level of nitrogen dioxide and fine particles in the air remain a concern in Dublin and Cork city centres.

The report, published yesterday, provides an overview of air quality in Ireland for 2010, based on data from 27 monitoring stations throughout the country.

Three monitoring stations in Longford town; Bray, Co Wicklow; and Celbridge, Co Kildare, joined the network last year.

It found that air quality in Ireland continues to be amongst the best in Europe due to prevailing Atlantic air flows, relatively few large cities and the lack of widespread heavy industries.

However, the EPA warned that air pollution caused by domestic solid fuel burning and vehicle exhaust emissions may be a problem in the future.

Michel Cinnide, the EPA director, said that while the coal regulations would have a positive effect on air quality, there was more work to be done to reduce traffic pollution.