Dairygold to invest €1m in waste water treatment at Mallow plant
DAIRYGOLD has announced it is to undertake what the company has described as “a significant programme of remedial works” to the waste water treatment plant at its West Ends facility in Mallow.
The issue of foul odours arising from the plant arose last June after Cork County Council received several complaints about the smell from members of the public and through local public representatives.
Liz Donovan, the municipal district officer for the Council’s Kanturk/ Mallow area, said the authority had raised the issue with the authority’s environment directorate who in turn had contacted the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The EPA subsequently confirmed it had received four complaints “in relation to odours from the facility” between May 9 and 28 last year. During a visit to the site inspectors found Dairygold was “in non-compliance” with licence conditions relating to odour. At the time the EPA confirmed it has opened two compliance investigations into the matter.
“Dairygold is required to undertake a series of corrective actions to ensure that odours from activity do bot cause a nuisance,” said and agency spokesperson.
“The EPA will monitor Dairygold’s progress in undertaking these actions and will continue to enforce Dairygold’s licence in accordance with the EPA’s enforcement policy.”
In response Dairygold said it had been “positively addressing” issues relating to its waste-water treatment plant in Mallow and had implemented a programme of works to alleviate intermittent odours from the plant.
“The society has taken this matter very seriously and believes that the situation has improved. Dairygold continues to monitor the situation to minimise the risk of any repeat occurrence.”
The issue was raised again in December after foul odours in the town were attributed to the plant. However, it subsequently emerged that the smell did not come from the plant but from a different source entirely.
This week, Dairygold reaffirmed its commitment to addressing the issue saying it would be investing €1 million in the programme of works at the waste-water treatment plant.
“Over the last six months, the organisation has been working closely with a variety of environmental experts including engineers, waste-water treatment plant and odour abatement experts,” said a company spokesperson.
“The overall project is being carried out in consultation with the Environmental Protection Agency and we expect the scope of works to be complete within the next four months.”