The Environment Section has responsibility for over 500 statutory functions, which are contained within over 100 pieces of legislation.
 

The key areas dealt with include;

• Waste Management
• Water Quality & Pollution Control
• Veterinary Services
• Burial Grounds

The aims of the Environment Department are;

• To promote sustainable development
• To provide an efficient and environmentally sound waste management infrastructure and implement the Joint South East Waste Management Plan
• To maintain proper regulatory and monitoring systems for environmental protection and control of pollution

 

Waste Management

Planning

• The review of the Joint Waste Management Plan (JWMP) for the South East Region, 2006 - 2011 which was due in 2011, has been deferred pending the finalisation of revised national waste policy.
• The Plan will be evaluated in 2012 to see if a review is required.

 

Dunmore Recycling & Waste Disposal Centre

• The facility name was changed to "Dunmore Recycling & Waste Disposal Centre" to reflect the variety of services provided on site.
• Signage improvement works were carried out and traffic management measures were undertaken.
• An information leaflet on the Centre in 2011 which was launched and widely distributed.
• Waste cells 13 and 14 in the landfill received final top soiling and seeding.
• An application was made to the EPA to reduce the extent of the site boundary, to facilitate leasing of land to the GAA for recreational use.

 

The total number of Bring Sites in the local authority area increased to 147 in 2011 from 106 in 2010.

 

Waste Collection Permits

Kilkenny County Council had been the issuing authority for Waste Collection Permits for the South East Region. Following a review of the service, it was decided that a single national authority, Offaly County Council, will be nominated under a shared service agreement. The transfer of functions will take place in 2012.

 

Total number of households provided with a waste collection service increased in 2011 to 18,840 from 16,752 in 2010.

 

Recycling

• Environment Section operates more than forty bring centres throughout the county in addition to the Dunmore facility.
• The maintenance contract continues to greatly improve the cleanliness of the bring centre locations.
• 18431 tonnes of waste were collected from kerbside in Kilkenny in 2011 of which 7535 tonnes (40%) were recycled.
• 2818 tonnes of recyclables were collected from recycling centres and bring banks.

 

Number of households provided with a segregated waste collection service for dry recyclables increased to 18,840 in 2011 from 16,122 in 2010.

 

 

Enforcement

• A large majority related to illegal dumping.
• 70 enforcement procedures were taken as a result, ranging from issuing warning letters and statutory notices to prosecutions.
• 4 unauthorised end-of-life vehicle sites were closed through enforcement action.
• A S.29 prosecution was secured under the Waste Management (Tyres and Waste Tyres) Regulations, 2007.

 

	In total, there were 1340 environmental complaints investigated by the Enforcement Team in 2011.
	Over 100 inspections were undertaken of food service establishments to control discharges of fats, oils and greases to the public sewer.

 

 

Litter Management

• The current Litter Management Plan covers the period 2008 - 2011.
• A draft replacement litter management plan was prepared in 2011 for adoption by the Council in 2012.
• Awareness of the plan and anti-litter activities were completed in October 2011 in conjunction with the Savour Kilkenny Food Festival.
• A litter awareness event was held in conjunction with the Iverk Show, the largest agricultural show in the South East in association with the Environmental Awareness Officers of the SE Local Authorities in September 2011.

 

 

Education And Awareness

Schools

• Over 81% of schools participate in the Green School Programme in Kilkenny.
• 36 schools have received the award to date.
• The Anti Litter and Local Agenda 21 Environment Partnership Funds facilitated 31 school environmental-themed workshops in 2011.
• 46 school visits were undertaken throughout the year in order to assist schools with their green schools programme.
• Green Schools Teachers Training.
• The annual Green Schools Information evening was held for teachers and parents with the assistance with An Taisce.
• A litter and waste workshop was also held for primary school teachers during the summer and included a tour of Dunmore Recycling & Waste Disposal Centre.

Kilkenny Local Authorities was shortlisted at the Repak Awards 2011
for the WEEE Ireland Best WEEE & Waste Battery Recycling Event category.

 

Adult/Community Education

A number of educational environmental workshops were held in partnership with the VEC Adult Education Centre, World Aid Training Centre and Kilkenny LEADER Partnership.

Workshops included Composting, Waste Prevention and Household Waste Management.
 

National Spring Clean

Kilkenny County Council supported 108 local community groups who registered with An Taisce to complete the National Spring Clean.

Additional clean up supplies were made available to groups and the Section also assisted in waste disposal of rubbish collected from public areas.

 

108 local community groups registered with An Taisce to complete the National Spring Clean

 

Waste Prevention

Under the Local Authority Prevention Network, a project was completed with the Iverk Show to increase its environmental performance.

The project was based on increasing recycling on site and determining potential waste prevention measures for future years.
 

Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment

In 2011 WEEE Ireland with support from Kilkenny Local Authorities completed 8 mobile collection days resulting in the collection of 107 tonnes of electrical waste.

Kilkenny Local Authorities was shortlisted at the Repak Awards 2011 for the WEEE Ireland Best WEEE & Waste Battery Recycling Event category.

Kilkenny County Council was honoured at Repak Awards in October by WEEE Ireland Special Merit Award winner and Finalist in the WEEE Ireland Best WEEE & Battery Recycling Event Category.
 

Tidy Towns

Assistance was provided to local tidy town groups throughout the year by promoting grant resources from the Local Authority and other bodies and organising mentoring workshops led by a national adjudicator.

In November the Cathaoirleach of the County Council, Cllr Paul Cuddihy organised a special awards evening, with the assistance of the Environment Section, for all participating tidy towns groups, to honour them for their continuous volunteer effort.
 

Members of Kilkenny Civil Defence assisting with the Tidy Towns
by cleaning and maintaining the river banks in Kilkenny City
 

Public Relations

17 press releases were given to local media throughout the year to emphasis both awareness and enforcement activities.

The Council participated in the Eco Chat programme in association with Carlow Local Authorities.
 

 

Water Quality & Pollution Control

Water Framework Directive & River Basin Management

• The process of reviewing all Section 4 Discharge Licences under the Surface Water Regulations was commenced.
• Draft Implementation Plan for County Kilkenny was prepared and circulated internally. The plan set out the specific measures which must be undertaken in County Kilkenny to ensure compliance with the Water Framework Directive.
• Extensive Surface and Ground Water Monitoring Programme was continued.

 

Pollution Control and Enforcement

• 75 farm inspections were undertaken - prioritised in areas around public water supplies.
• 6 farms were cross reported by the Council to Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM) under the Good Agriculture Practice Regulations.
• 61 farm inspections were undertaken by DAFM on behalf the Council of which 8 were found to be non-complaint with the Gap Regulations.
• Routine inspections were undertaken of premises with discharges to waters and discharges to sewers.
• Inspections were undertaken following pollution or agricultural complaints.
• Notices under the Water Pollutions Acts and Good Agricultural Practice Regulations issued where necessary to ensure remediation works were undertaken.
• 2 prosecutions under the Water Pollution Acts.

 

Water Safety

• Presentation of certificates to 30 new lifeguards and 20 revalidated lifeguards took place in County Hall in May 2011.
• Many of these lifeguards worked for Kilkenny County Council on rivers during the summer months. Swimming areas are The Meadows, The Weir, Graiguenamanagh and Inistioge.
• Improved signage was erected at all swimming areas and risk assessments were carried out by Irish Water Safety.

 

 

Charles Thomson Award

The Charles Thomson Award, which recognises outstanding contributions towards the promotion of water safety, was won by Kilkenny County Council in 2011. This award was presented by Minister Phil Hogan in Dublin Castle to An Cathaoirleach, Cllr. Paul Cuddihy, and to Water Safety staff.
 

The Charles Thomson Award, which recognises outstanding contributions towards the promotion of water safety,
was won by Kilkenny County Council in 2011. This award was presented by Minister Phil Hogan in Dublin Castle
to the Chairman of Kilkenny County Council, Cllr. Paul Cuddihy.
Also in attendance were; Mr. Philip O'Neill, Director of Services, Cllr. Pat Crowley,
Mr. Denis Lawlor, A/Senior Executive Engineer and Joan McLoughlin, Water Safety Development Officer

 

 

Burial Grounds

Kilkenny County Council has 14 open and active burial grounds across the County with each having a caretaker in place to manage the record keeping.

Updated burial ground maps continue to be developed and are distributed to the caretakers on completion.

Gathabawn Graveyard Committee recording headstones.

 

 

Veterinary Services

The Veterinary Service fulfils the food safety service contract between the FSAI and Kilkenny County Council. The Veterinary Public Health and animal welfare functions include providing official controls/regulation of slaughterhouses and small meat processing plants, and small poultry slaughtering plants (includes on farm slaughter of poultry i.e. seasonal slaughter). Other functions include interagency working e.g. attendance of South East Regional Zoonoses Committee meetings, participation in FSAI Working Groups, participation in multidisciplinary Disease Outbreak Control Teams where appropriate, response to food incidents etc. The service is subject to internal audits i.e. from Veterinary Service of other Local Authorities and external audits from the Food and Veterinary Office of the EU and the FSAI.

Slaughterhouses under the service's supervision in 2011 slaughtered 4,521 Cattle, 17,824 Sheep and 158 Pigs. These slaughterhouses are low-medium throughput slaughterhouses, which facilitates animals to be born, reared and slaughtered in a local area thus reducing transport stress on the animal and reduces pathogen shedding.

They facilitate meat and meat products which are produced locally to be sold and consumed locally. Official controls carried out provide that each animal slaughtered for human consumption requires an ante mortem inspection and post mortem inspection, microbiological sampling, national residue sampling, audits on hygiene practices, implementation of HACCP, animal welfare audits etc.

The Veterinary Service supervises small/medium meat processing plants in the county which engages in a range of meat processing activities, from storage and distribution, to manufacture of sausages, to the cutting and curing of meat etc. All require veterinary supervision under EU legislation. Frequency of official controls is determined by risk assessment. These include hygiene inspections, audits on the implementation of HACCP, microbiological sampling etc.

• The Veterinary Service is involved in the veterinary and animal welfare issues in the Control of Horses and Control of Dogs.
• The Control of Horses Enforcement Team impounded 82 horses and licensed 19 horses in 2011.
• Dog licensing is a team collaboration between the Dog Warden Service of the ISPCA and Kilkenny County Council.
• In 2011, there were 6,830 individual dogs licensed and 25 Group Dog Licences were issued for the county.