Odour and noise issues top list of complaints to eco watchdog

ODOUR and noise issues accounted for 90% of all complaints to the Environmental Protection Agency last year.

The agency said its enforcement activities led to an overall decrease in complaints last year, which have fallen by 29% compared with 2022.

In 2023, the EPA carried out more than 1,200 inspections at 535 licensed industrial and waste facilities – the vast majority of which were unannounced visits.

The agency’s director of environmental enforcement said there is an increased focus on odour and noise management at licensed sites. Dr Tom Ryan said: ‘The EPA will maintain a focus on nuisance arising from licensed sites and will take enforcement action, where appropriate.’

In its review of enforcement of industrial and waste licences for last year, the agency also said that the former director of a waste company received a three-year sentence – with the final 12 months suspended – for breaches of an EPA licence.

A further 22 cases initiated by the EPA were heard and concluded in district courts last year.

These included the first successful district court prosecution for extraction of peat without a licence.

In total, these prosecutions resulted in fines of €137,750 and total costs of €245,047 were awarded on behalf of the EPA.

Eleven sites were identified as priorities for enforcement efforts throughout 2023 but only three remained on the EPA’s list going into 2024. These were: North Cork Co-Op Creameries Ltd and Timoleague Agri Gen Ltd, also in Cork, over discharges to water as well as Wellman International Ltd in Meath for odour and stormwater management.