Two major players in the dairy processing industry on the island of Ireland feature on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) latest National Priority Sites List for Enforcement.

Some seven industrial sites have been named on the list, with four of the sites based in the agri-food sector.

The seven sites represent less than 1% of industrial sites licenced by the EPA, yet account for 26% of complaints and 13% of open compliance investigation files.

These sites are on the list for failing to meet the necessary environmental standards. These companies face further enforcement action, the EPA confirmed.

The following are the national priority sites in the agri-food sector for October 2017 to March 2018:
  • Arrow Group, Co. Kildare;
  • Aurivo Dairy Ingredients Limited, Co. Roscommon;
  • Lacpatrick Dairies Limited, Co. Monaghan;
  • Rosderra Irish Meats Group (Edenderry), Co. Offaly.

Also included on the list are: C & F Automotive Ltd, Co. Westmeath; Glenmore Biogas Ltd, Co. Donegal; and T & J Standish (Roscrea) Ltd, Co. Offaly.

Launched in July 2017 by the agency, the National Priority Sites List for Enforcement system aims to drive further environmental compliance at industrial and waste facilities.

A statement from the agency explained: “Licenced facilities are identified as national priority sites for enforcement using a system developed by the EPA.

Points are allocated to each site based on compliance data such as complaints, incidents and non-compliances over the previous six months.

“Sites which exceed a certain threshold become a national priority site and are targeted by the EPA for further enforcement action,” the statement added.

The EPA also announced that five sites have come off the previous list, following improvements in compliance.

These included: East Galway Residual Landfill Site, Co. Galway; Green Pasture Meat Processors Ltd, Co. Longford; Irish Cement Ltd (Limerick), Co. Limerick; Nutricia Infant Nutrition Ltd, Co. Cork; and Shell E&P Ireland Ltd, Co. Mayo.

The agency updates the national priority sites list on a quarterly basis.