ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND AWARENESS

Kilkenny County Council in partnership with every citizen in the County, has a crucial role to play in the protection of our natural environment. The core objective of the Corporate Plan for the Environment Section is to promote and nurture the environment for the benefit of the current and future generations. With ever increasing pressures through economic development, growth in population and the change in living standards impacting upon our environment, the Local Authority is pivotally positioned to ensure through advice, education and enforcement that our environment is properly protected.

Kilkenny County Council and all local authorities are responsible for in excess of 500 environmental protection functions under the headings of air, noise, planning, waste, waste water and water quality. These functions are contained within some 100 pieces of legislation. With a team of 44 staff (including indoor and outdoor staff) hard work and dedication is given by the Environment Section Team to ensure that our responsibilities and functions are fulfilled.

The area of waste management forms a significant part of the service delivery of Kilkenny County Council and impacts on every person in the County. Kilkenny County Council, together with Carlow County Council, South Tipperary County Council, Waterford County Council, Waterford City Council and Wexford County Council, adopted the Joint Waste Management Plan for the South East Region in 2002.

The review of this plan commenced in 2004. The current plan is on display in the Environment Section, Kilkenny County Council and can be downloaded free of charge from www.wastenot.ie
 

To skip to a section click on the title below:

• Waste Management
• Education & Awareness
• Water Quality
• Veterinary Services
• Parks

 

Waste Management

Dunmore Landfill

The Environment Section operates a landfill about 5km north of the City at Dunmore (Licence no. 30-2). The landfill comprises 12 lined waste cells with provision for a further 2 cells. Construction of these 2 cells will take place in 2005. Major improvement and upgrading works were carried out at the facility in 2004 and these have ensured the facility continues to operate to the highest standard.

Extensive capping and restoration works have been completed on cells 1-7 and final completion of partly capped cells 8-10 due to take place this year. 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 from the site. A new landfill gas flare and associated infrastructure to facilitate the collection and flaring of landfill gas from the facility has been installed. This system controls gas venting and migration from the site which greatly minimises the landfills' contribution to ozone depletion by over 90%.
 

Dunmore Recycling Centre

Kilkenny County Council has opened its first recycling centre at Dunmore Landfill. This facility accepts all types of segregated household waste for recycling. Commercial recyclable waste is not accepted at the facility. Since the opening of the site, the demand and popularity for this service has greatly increased during 2004. It is estimated that the provision of this state of the art facility, coupled with the widespread availability of kerbside collection, has increased the recycling rate for the County to 18% in 2004.

 

Recycling

2004 was an extremely successful year for Kilkenny County Council's recycling programme. By the end of 2004, 44 bring sites were in place taking glass and cans. 13 sites accepted food cans, and 1 site accepted plastic bottles, newspapers and cardboard.

The bring banks are emptied on a regular basis, but because they are so popular, can cause waste management problems coupled with litter problems. CCTV cameras are now installed on a trial basis at some of these bring sites to deter such activity. In addition, the Environment Enforcement Team regularly carries out surveillance operations in an effort to curtail illegal activity.

 

Transfrontier Shipment of Waste

Under the requirements of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 259/93 and National Regulations SI No 149 of 1998, Waste Management (Transfrontier Shipment of Waste) Regulations, 1998, Kilkenny County Council is the Competent Authority of Dispatch for waste exports from the County. In 2004 there were 34 shipments of waste under 12 separate TFS notifications. A financial bond was put in place with Kilkenny County Council for each of these shipments to cover costs in the event of a shipment being rejected. The bonds were not released until after Kilkenny County Council had received confirmation that the waste had been recovered / disposed in an environmentally sound manner.

 

Waste Collection Permits

Kilkenny County Council is the nominated authority in the South East Region for issuing all waste collection permits as per the Waste Management Acts 1996 - 2003 and the Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2001 as amended. The Region comprises Carlow County Council, South Tipperary County Council, Waterford County Council, Waterford City Council and Wexford County Council.

The primary purpose of the permitting system is to facilitate appropriate controls on commercial collection activities for the purposes of environmental protection and to facilitate the implementation and achievement of relevant objectives in the waste management plan.

Kilkenny County Council had received a total of 276 applications at the end of December, 2004 and a total of 244 applications have been granted with 66 applications granted during 2004.

 

Waste Management Acts 1996 - 2003

A total of seventy Notices were issued under the Waste Management Acts 1996 - 2003 in 2004. These were for a range of unauthorised waste activities such as waste collection without a permit, burning waste, dumping waste at unauthorised sites and non-compliances with waste permits or waste collection permits. Notice was served on 17 construction companies regarding burning on site and inadequate waste management on site. Consequently, these companies have either ceased burning or improved their waste management practices. Three of the landowners who were served a notice under Section 55, subsequently applied for a Waste Permit for the sites in question to regularise the position.

In the case of forty-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 case.

 

Waste Management (Permit) Regulations, 1998

Twenty one applications for waste permits were made under the Waste Management (Permit) Regulations, 1998 for facilities in County Kilkenny in 2004. Eleven waste permits were granted and four refused, with four pending and two withdrawn in 2004.

Nine of the permits were for the recovery of Construction & Demolition waste, including topsoil, subsoil and rubble, to restore quarries or other unsuitable land to agricultural use. One permit was also granted to an automobile recycling company and one for a waste to energy unit.

There are currently 52 permitted sites in the County. The operation of these permitted facilities was monitored by Kilkenny County Council's Environmental Enforcement Team. In all, a total of 120 inspections were carried out during the year.

 

Waste Management (Packaging) Regulations, 2003

One hundred and forty-five premises were visited in 2004 in order to check compliance with the Waste Management (Packaging) Regulations, 2003. Notices under 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 subsidies paid to collectors for packaging waste recycled.

Waste Management Plastic Bag Levy Regulations, 2001

215 inspections of business premises were carried out throughout the county to check compliance with regulations. 32 Warning Letters were consequently issued for non-compliance.

 

Enforcement

Close to 2000 inspections or visits were carried out to investigate illegal dumping, illegal burning, compliance with the Plastic Bag Levy Regulations, the Packaging Regulations and the Farm Plastic Regulations. Visits also included inspections of garages in relation to garage waste (e.g. oil, filter, batteries etc). Inspections were also carried out in Hotels and Restaurants for food waste.

 

Abandoned Vehicles

Section 71 of the Waste Management Acts 1996 - 2003 makes it an offence to abandon a vehicle on any land. 55 letters were issued in 2004 for cases of abandoned vehicles. Any costs incurred by Kilkenny County Council in the removal of abandoned vehicles is passed to the offender in each case.

 

Litter Pollution Acts 1997 - 2003

The Litter Pollution Acts 1997 - 2003 make it an offence to create litter in a public place or in any place that is visible to any extent from a public place. Kilkenny County Council employs two Environment Enforcement Officers and a total of 159 on the spot litter fines were issued in 2004. Detail of all litter fines are logged on the litter fine system where all correspondence issued and outcomes/actions can be tracked.

A freephone litter line number was set up in March 2004 linking directly to the Environment Office. This service has proved very successful as members of the public can telephone this line at any time to inform the Enforcement Team if bottle banks are full or if there has been an instance of illegal dumping. The freephone number 1-800-200-156 is widely advertised at bring sites and other locations and is in operation 24 hours per day.

 

 

Education and Awareness

Litter Management Plan

Kilkenny County Council produced its Litter Management Plan 2003-2006 which was launched in February 2004. The plan is based on a policy of developing and encouraging public awareness of the litter problem, continuing improvement in the problem of litter pollution throughout the county and enforcing the Litter Pollution Acts to their fullest extent. Speaking at the launch County Manager, Mr. Michael Malone said "This is money that we wish could be spent elsewhere. There are many more-deserving projects for the citizens of Kilkenny that we would prefer to finance. In addition to the resources expended on cleaning up our streets, over €185,000 has been set aside for environmental education and awareness projects, most of which have an anti-litter theme."

Also announced at the launch was the Free phone Litter Hotline 1-800-200-156. This is a free phone number, and facilitates the public in reporting incidences of littering and illegal dumping to the Council. Reports can also be sent to litter@kilkennycoco.ie

 

Kerbside

In March, 2004, Kilkenny Borough Council commenced its kerbside collection. The introduction of this fortnightly, 2 bin collection of dry recyclables meets the kerbside requirements of the South East Waste Management Plan as well as heightening the public's awareness in relation to the merits of recycling.

Borough Council Kerbside Refuse Bags

Borough Council Kerbside Dry Recyclable Collection Bags

 

Public Awareness

59 primary and secondary schools were visited on environmental awareness issues in 2004. In September 2004 a new Environmental Education Booking Form was sent out to every school in the County. This form shows schools the education programme that is available through the Environmental Section of Kilkenny County Council. There was a tremendous response to this initiative with the trip to Dunmore Landfill and Recycling Centre proving the most popular.

27 community groups, farmers groups and youth groups, etc., were also visited to raise awareness of waste management, recycling, composting and anti-litter initiatives.

 

Home Composting

625 compost bins were sold in 2004, bringing the total sales to 4425, or a composting rate in the county of approximately 17%. This rate is well above the national target of 7%.

 

In-house waste minimisation

In 2004 the in-house waste minimisation programme continued with the support of the Council's Partnership Committee. Waste paper recycle units have been provided throughout the building as part of this initiative. This will raise awareness of waste reduction and recycling initiatives within the council buildings.

 

Green Schools

47 Kilkenny schools are now registered to participate in the Green Schools programme in association with An Taisce and the local authority. The Green Flag is the most prestigious award that a school can achieve and is given to schools that take action to eliminate litter and reduce waste. Once the award has been achieved the schools then move on to address other issues such as energy and transport.

The county now has a total number of 9 Schools with a Green Flag. This represents a 28% growth on 2003 figures. In November 2004 two Green School Seminars were held. The first was intended as a workshop for schools that already have the Green Flag. The second was an introduction to schools of the Green Schools concept.

 

Kilkenny Green Flag Schools 2006

Representatives from Presentation Convent NS, Castlecomer at the An Taisce Green Schools Awards Ceremony.

School	Address
Primary Schools
Kilkenny School Project	Waterford Road, Kilkenny
Scoil Bhride Lisdowney	Lisdowney
Our Lady of Lourdes	Slieverue
St. Brigid's National School	Kells
St. Canice's Co. Ed. N.S.	Granges Road
St. Colman's N.S.	Conahy
Primary Schools Awarded in 2004
St. John of God N.S.	New Street
Presentation Convent N.S.	Castlecomer
School	Address
Secondary Schools
Colaiste Mhuire	Johnstown Via Thurles, Co.Kilkenny

 

Representatives from St. John of God NS at the An Taisce Green Schools Awards Ceremony.

 

National Spring Clean April 2004

In April 2004, Kilkenny County Council undertook a major cleaning operation across the county in conjunction with local communities as part of the National Spring Clean. Throughout the year, much time and finances were invested in organising regular clean ups by residents associations, tidy town groups, youth groups, etc. in towns, villages and rural areas in the county and the outcome was extremely successful. The policy to distribute tag bags and other clean-up equipment instead of skips has proven to be popular and successful.

 

Waste Minimisation

Throughout the year an information stand was in place outside City Hall, High St. and at various Homes and Garden Exhibitions. This type of public information brought the work of the Environmental Office straight into the public domain. There was on average 100 queries per day all in relation to waste minimisation and recycling.

April 2004, Kilkenny County Council held Real Nappy Week promoting washable and environmentally friendly nappies. Over 600,000 disposable nappies go to landfill every day in Ireland, and using washable nappies is an excellent example of household waste (and cost) minimisation.

 

Fair Trade

Fair Trade Fortnight - March 1^st to 13^th, 2004

The members of Kilkenny County Council have adopted a Resolution to support FAIRTRADE. Fairtrade fortnight was used to promote the use and purchase of Fairly Traded products throughout Kilkenny. Since Fairtrade fortnight, only FAIRTRADE tea and coffee are served throughout County Hall.

 

Anti Litter Awareness Initiative Grant 2004

Co-funding was made available through Kilkenny County Council. The maximum grant allocated per project will be 70% of the overall cost, with the balance being met by way of local contribution. In 2004 the Anti Litter Awareness Initiative Grant was awarded to:-

• Keep Kilkenny Beautiful
• CDCD Network
• Kilkenny Youthlynx
• Kilkenny Local Authorities
• Paulstown Green School Committee
• Hebron Park Youth Club
• Paulstown Tidy Towns Association
• Ballyhale Shamrocks Club

 

Local Agenda 21 - Environmental Partnership Fund

The Irish Wildlife Trust with their project "The Compost Crew" and Freshford 2020 and their "Alive Festival", received funding under this initiative in 2004. 50% of the grant is funded by the Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government and the balance is funded by Kilkenny County Council. Both of the winning projects meet the criteria under Local Agenda 21 and are non commercial. The theme for the 2004 fund required projects to focus on aspects of waste management to complement the Department's National Environmental Awareness Campaign - "Race against Waste". As a follow-up to the World Summit on Sustainable Development 2002, emphasis for 2004 was on projects which support Local Agenda 21.

 

Casual Trading

9 casual trading areas (26 trading bays) have been designated under bye laws in the following towns and villages in the County: Castlecomer, Thomastown, Graiguenamanagh, Inistioge, Kells, Hugginstown, Glenmore, Kilmanagh and Gowran. Separate bye laws operate for the Kilkenny Borough Council area.

 

Local Authority Management System (LAMS)

LAMS was introduced to the Environment section in 2004. It is a digitised management system that provides a comprehensive library of statutory environmental protection functions. The system allows the Section to monitor and manage the large number of statutory functions it has responsibility for under environmental legislation.

 

Kilkenny Pride in Place Awards Ceremony 2004. Representatives from winning communities -
Inistioge Tidy Towns, Tullahought Community Development, Keep Kilkenny Beautiful,
Representatives from Kilkenny County Council & Barrow Nore Suir Rural Development

 

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. Work on the project has been ongoing and the initial Characterisation and analysis report was completed on schedule in December 2004 and forwarded to the EPA who now have responsibility for combining this report with those for the rest of the country into a single document for submission to the EU. The information must be forwarded to Brussels in March 2005.

The next step now is to develop a monitoring programme which will fill in identified gaps in the available information and also provide a more complete picture of the current water status in other areas. 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 High Status where it exists and/or achieve Good Status for all water (surface freshwaters, estuarine and coastal waters and groundwater). High Status is indicative of little impact by human activity and Good Status is normally indicative of waters sustaining good ecological biodiversity. Preparation of the SERB Management Plan is being led by Carlow County Council and regular meetings of the management and steering groups take place. Pending finalisation of the Plan, all the major rivers in County Kilkenny are covered by Water Quality Plans together with being subject to the requirements of the Water Pollution Acts.

The Council monitors nineteen licences to discharge to waters and thirty six licences to discharge to sewers. The large increase last year of discharge to sewer licences is as a result of an initiative by Kilkenny County Council to eventually ensure that all commercial establishments comply and have a discharge to sewer licence. This is ongoing and in 2004 approx 100 premises were visited.

Fifteen of the county's larger industrial developments are IPC (Integrated Pollution Control) licensed by the Environmental Protection Agency. There are a total of six 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. The Council's laboratory equipment was updated in 2004 and it continues to partake in the EPA calibration scheme. 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. These maps are available for inspection, by the public, in the Environment Section, County Hall. They have also become available on-line at www.gsi.ie.

10 Section 12 Notices and 22 Section 23 Notices in accordance with the Local Government (Water Pollution) Act 1977 and 1990 were served in 2004.

Farm Surveys were carried out and pollution incidents inspected to ensure that the implementation programme in place by Kilkenny County Council to comply with the Phosphorous Regulations and Dangerous Substances Regulations is on target. The implementation programme in both Measures Reports is to ensure the continued improvement of water quality in County Kilkenny.

 

Complaints

A new complaints database was set up in the Environment Office in 2004. Upwards of 650 complaints/queries were received. Each complaint received in writing, via email, telephone, the public counter and the Litter Line are logged on this database. All complaints are then referred to the Enforcement Team or other relevant staff member for attention. A Statutory Notice, warning letter or other relevant action may be required following investigation and depending on the nature of each complaint.

Due to the large numbers of complaints received at the Environment Section, it is not normal policy to revert to each complainant with an outcome on their complaint. However, a facility is now in place whereby the complainant is now advised at the initial point of contact with this office, that should they wish to hear further that this will be noted when logging their complaint and that they can expect a call back within two to four weeks, depending on the nature of their complaint. This time frame may vary in individual cases.

 

Amenity Grants 2004

In 2004 Kilkenny County Council advertised an Amenity Grant Scheme to assist voluntary bodies in the provision of amenity facilities. Preference was given to projects which were community based and which were considered to offer most benefit to the local community.

The budget for 2004 was €26,000.00 and 89 applications were received. Projects which benefited from the scheme included the following:

• County Wide Tidy Towns Competition
• Maintenance of Play Areas
• Shrubs and Flower Baskets
• Grass Cutting
• Purchase of Lawnmowers
• Planting of Community owned wood

 

Control of Dogs

In 2004 2,813 individual and 8 general licences were processed by The Environment Section.

 

Dog Shelter

Tenders were invited and awarded for the construction of a replacement dog shelter at Garryduff, Paulstown during 2004. Construction has commenced and it is hoped that works will substantially completed early Autumn 2005. The accommodation will consist of kennels, confined exercise yards, viewing area, 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.

 

 

Veterinary Services

A full time veterinary officer fulfils the service contract between the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) and Kilkenny County Council. Duties include the inspection of domestic abattoirs and small meat manufacturing plants, membership of regional Zoonosis Committee etc. As directed by FSAI, the service facilitates FSAI Surveillance Surveys and participation in Foodborne Outbreak Control Teams as appropriate etc. Other duties include fulfilling the Council's obligations under the Diseases of Animals Act 1966, the registration of liquid milk production holdings, disposal of animal by products etc. Additional Funding for the service was secured in 2004.

 

 

Parks

WOODSTOCK GARDENS RESTORATION PROJECT

The gardens at Woodstock, Inistioge were once regarded as one of the great gardens of Ireland. With this in mind, Kilkenny County Council embarked on an ambitious scheme of restoration in 1999. After years of neglect, the main framework still remained intact and much of the original exotic tree planting survived. Woodstock Gardens have now been undergoing restoration for four years.

The year 2004 saw Woodstock Gardens develop further as an important visitor attraction for Kilkenny and the south east region. The gardens attracted in the region of 30,000 visitors with the majority visiting in the summer months. However the autumn and winter periods were also shown to be busy, particularly over Christmas and the New Year. A number of events from willow sculpting workshops, plant sales, guided tours and a visiting team of Welsh Axe Men drew further crowds during the year.

Kilkenny County Council looks after the maintenance of the gardens day to day and is constantly seeking funding to further develop and restore this important site. In 2004 the Council were successful in sourcing funds and were awarded €50,000 from BNS Leader, Kilkenny and €434,792 from Fáilte Ireland (formerly Bord Fáilte). Kilkenny County Council will match these grants with €741,027 of their own funds. Already installed under this grant aid is a rustic cottage known as Knox's Bower and a replica of the original fountain. 2005 will see the development of the Walled Garden, Estate Boundary walls, the Rockery, the Grotto and the Arboretum.

A gardening course established in conjunction with Grennan College, Thomastown and is now in its fourth year. Gardening students from Grennan College work in the gardens two days per week as part of their work experience module. The Woodstock website was updated recently and can be accessed at www.woodstock.ie.

During the summer Woodstock hosted two concerts organized by the Kilkenny Arts Festival namely the Northern Chamber Orchestra and a concert featuring the best of Irelands singer song-writers.

Fáilte Ireland through the EU Tourist product development scheme approved grant aid to Kilkenny County Council to 2006 totalling €1,039,586 to further restore the gardens.