ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND AWARENESS

To skip to a section click on the title below:

• Waste Management
• Water Quality
• Air Quality
• Veterinary Services
• Dog Shelter
• Service Indicators

 

Waste Management

Dunmore Landfill

In 2003, the following works were completed at Dunmore Landfill:

• A new entrance was constructed from the N77, and all landfill traffic taken off the Bleach Road, which includes weighbridge, offices, security fencing and extensive landscaping. Accommodation work was completed at any local residence affected by the works.
• A new recycling centre was provided which provides an extensive range of recycling for domestic householders.
• A further lined cell was completed, leaving current lined void space of 60,000 tonnes.
• Extensive capping and restoration work commenced on cells 1-10 which will be completed early 2004.
• A new leachate recirculation system and lagoon were installed at the site which will guarantee a more than adequate ability to treat and store any leachate generated at the site.
• Tenders were completed for the provision of an extensive, state of the art, gas extraction and flaring system, which will control gas venting and migration from the site and will reduce the landfills contribution to ozone depleting gases by over 90%. The installation will be completed by early 2004.
• New electrical and phone system were installed, which replaced old unreliable systems.
• A further €29,341.20 was contributed to the local community fund. From this and the 2002 contribution, a new tar macadam surface was laid at the community hall along with height restriction barriers.

 

In 2003, no complaints were received regarding the operation of the facility, and the EPA annual audit stated that they were "impressed with the operation of the facility". It is anticipated that in excess of 60% of capital works is now complete at the site and is running inside budget. Kilkenny County Council will continue to complete the project by direct labour and supervision as this is proving to be cost effective. It is currently estimated that there is 130,000 tonnes of void space remaining at the facility.

 

Waste Management Acts 1996 - 2003

Twenty three notices under Sections 55 and 18 of the Waste Management Acts, 1996 to 2003 were served in 2003. These were for a range of unauthorised waste activities such as collecting waste without a permit, burning waste, dumping waste in unauthorised sites and non-compliances with waste permits or waste collection permits.

• Notice was served on two construction companies regarding burning on site and inadequate waste management on site. Both of these companies submitted waste management plans as requested and are believed to have ceased burning waste.
• Three of the landowners served notice under Section 55, subsequently applied for a waste permit for the sites in question to regularise the position.
• The hauliers who received notices under Section 34 subsequently applied for waste collection permits.

 

In the case of six of the sites the notices were complied with and the information provided and/or site cleared. The other cases are awaiting further information from the landowners or a court action.

 

Waste Management (Permit) Regulations, 1998

Twenty eight applications for waste permits were made under the Waste Management (Permit) Regulations, 1998 for facilities in County Kilkenny in 2003. Eighteen waste permits were granted and one refused in 2003.

Fourteen of the permits were for the recovery of clay and topsoil to restore quarries or other unsuitable land to agricultural use. Permits were also granted to an automobile recycling company, a glass reprocessing operation, for the spreading of brewery waste on a willow plantation grown for bio energy, for the storage of sanitary waste and for the storage of waste wood chip for use as animal bedding.

The operation of these permitted facilities was monitored by Environmental Officers from Kilkenny County Council.

 

Waste Management (Packaging) Regulations, 2003

New packaging regulations were passed by the government in 2003. Changes in the legislation increased the number of businesses that are considered 'major producers' of packaging. Kilkenny County Council, Environment Section was very active in awareness raising and enforcement of the new regulations in 2003 and over five hundred producers of packaging were visited throughout the year. Twenty two notices under Article 22 of the Waste Management (Packaging) Regulations, 2003 & Section 18 of the Waste Management Acts, 1996 to 2003 were served on businesses that were not fulfilling their obligations under the regulations.

Three major producers in Kilkenny are now registered with Kilkenny County Council as "Self Compliers" under the Waste Management (Packaging) Regulations, 2003. Other major producers took the option of joining Repak. The membership fees paid by the packaging producers are used to fund recycling initiatives by means of subsidy's paid to Kilkenny County Council and private collectors for packaging waste recycled.

 

Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations, 2001

Kilkenny County Council is the nominated authority for the South East Region for issuingWaste Collection Permits. The region comprises six Local Authorities - Carlow County Council, Kilkenny County Council, South Tipperary County Council, Waterford City Council, Waterford County Council and Wexford County Council.

Companies wishing to collect waste in this region have to make an application for a Waste Collection Permit to Kilkenny County Council. The closing date for applications for companies continuing or proposing to collect waste was the 30th of November, 2001. An amended date of 30th June 2002 applied to those involved in the collection of slurry or residual sludge from septic tanks.

Kilkenny County Council has received 204 applications up to 31st December, 2003. Approval has been granted to 166 of these applications to date. There have been l7 refusals including 6 who withdrew their applications, which is deemed a refusal under the Regulations.

 

Water Quality

The EU Water Framework Directive establishes water management at the level of river basins. All of County Kilkenny lies within the South East River Basin. The South East River Basin District Management Scheme has been set up to establish an Integrated Monitoring & Management System for all waters within the South Eastern River Basin District. Kilkenny County Council, along with other sectoral interests in the south east of Ireland, is part of the management structure for this River Basin. A dynamic programme of management measures will be developed and a River Basin Management Strategy produced.

This Strategy will be continually updated to maintain and/or achieve Good Status for all waters (surface freshwaters, estuarine and coastal waters and groundwater). Preparation of the SERB Management Plan is being led by Carlow County Council. The project team, including its consultants, has been put in place and regular meetings of the management steering group take place. Pending finalisation of the Plan, all the major rivers in County Kilkenny are covered by Water Quality Plans.

The Council monitors seventeen licences to discharge to waters and nine licences to discharge to sewers. Fifteen of the county's larger industrial developments are IPC (Integrated Pollution Control) licensed by the Environmental Protection Agency. There are four discharge licences currently pending a decision.

River Water Quality Monitoring is shared between the Council's Environment Laboratory and the EPA Regional Laboratory in Butts Green. A report by the EPA on River Water Quality in County Kilkenny was commissioned by Kilkenny County Council.

The Groundwater Protection for the County was completed in 2002, in association with the Geological Survey of Ireland. It is being used to assist in decision making on the location, nature and control of developments and activities in order to protect groundwater.

8 Section 12 Notices in accordance with the Local Government (Water Pollution) Act 1977 and 1990 were served in 2003.

 

 

Air Quality

Air Pollution Act, 1997
Kilkenny County Council monitored the emissions from the premises of three licensees under the above act.

The smokeless fuel zone within the Kilkenny Environs of Waterford City was monitored on behalf of the Council by Waterford Corporation. A new smokeless zone containing Kilkenny City and Environs was commenced in October 2003 under the Air Pollution Act, 1997 (Marketing, Sale and Distribution of Fuels)(Amendment) Regulations, 2003.

This places a ban on the sale of bituminous coal from within the restricted area of: All areas within

• the Borough Boundary,
• the Kilkenny Ring Road,
• the proposed Kilkenny Ring Road extension and Springmount,
• Wetlands,
• Margaretsfields,
• Poulgour,
• Drakelands Lower,
• Kilcreene,
• Palmerstown,
• Loughmacask,
• Lousybush,
• Raheennagaun,
• Coolgrange,
• Oldpark,
• Talbotsinch,
• Bleechgreen,
• Friarsinch,
• Dunmore.

All premises offering fuel for sale within the above areas were monitored by an Environmental Enforcement Officer from Kilkenny County Council.

 

Veterinary Services

A full-time Veterinary Officer fulfils the service contract between FSAI and Kilkenny County Council. Duties include the supervision of domestic abattoirs and small meat manufacturing plants etc. An inter-departmental group is currently reviewing the funding of this service as existing income is based on figures prior to the commencement of the whole time veterinary service in 1999. It is expected that additional funding will be provided for 2004.

 

 

Dog Shelter

Tenders will be invited for the replacement dog shelter at Garryduff, Paulstown at the end of January 2004.

It is hoped that construction works will commence in March with a view to completion during the Autumn of 2004. The accommodation will consist of kennels, confined exercise yards, food preparation and storage area, veterinary room, freezer unit, toilets with office accommodation and wash up facilities on the first floor.

Sewage facilities are to be a proprietary effluent system. Adequate surfaced car-parking, secure site perimeter fencing and external lighting are also included.

 

 

Service Indicators

Litter (Combined County Council and Borough Council Areas):

• 91 - No. of School Visits carried out.
• 82 - No. of Community Groups involved in litter measures.
• 20 - No. of Meetings with local business groups, Chambers Of Commerce, Repak.

 

Bring facilities

• Number of locations per 5000 population - 2.822
• Number and type of facility:
  • 41 - glass and cans
  • 13 - with food cans also
  • 5 - newspapers, magazines, cardboard and plastic bottles

 

Dunmore Civic Amenity Site:

• Metals
• Tetra Pak
• Timber
• Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment
• Household Hazardous