Bad smells really get up your nose
Noise comes second in complaints to the Environmental Protection Agency
SMELLS and noise are the top complaints the public make to the Environmental Protection Agency about factories and other industrial sites.
Latest figures show 960 complaints were made about facilities licensed by the EPA last year, 90% of them about bad odours and noise levels.
The number of complaints fell for the second year in a row and was 36% lower than in 2021.
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.
A list of “national priority sites” which highlights the 11 sites most frequently in breach last year, shows the food and drink sector ( five sites) and waste sector (three sites) were the most persistent offenders.
One company, Arrow Group food producers in Co Kildare, was on the priority list for seven years for odour and noise issues but was finally brought into compliance at the end of last year.
Three sites where problems have continued into this year include North Cork Co-op Creameries beside the River Allow in Kanturk where discharges breached regulated levels of ammonia, phosphates, bacteria and sodium. The company told the EPA it was “aware of the non-compliances and is proactively investigating potential sources of contamination at the site to minimise impacts to the groundwater”.
It added: “Upgrade activities include storm water manhole repairs, foul manhole testing and repairs, trench repairs and site resurfacing, scheduled through February to April 2024.”
In total, EPA staff inspected 535 sites last year, about 60 per cent of all the facilities licensed by the agency.
Of the 1,202 inspections carried out, 91% were unannounced but some companies required multiple visits.
Killarney Waste Disposal in Kerry had 37 visits to its site outside the busy tourist town during the year.
Among the issues investigated was the discovery that the site took in 50% more household and commercial waste than was allowed by its licence – 34,000 tonnes instead of the 22,000 tonnes allowed.
The EPA’S initial response to the breaches of environmental regulations is to work with companies to bring their operations into compliance.
Last year, 22 prosecutions were concluded, resulting in fines of €137,750 and costs of €245,047 being imposed.