The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said that six of the 13 sites listed as “National Priority Sites” last year were from the food and drink sector.

The EPA today (Tuesday, February 28) published the 2022 Industrial and Waste Licence Enforcement Report; an annual summary report on the enforcement activities carried out by the agency.

The EPA priority list for 2022 comprises two dairy processing facilities, three slaughtering facilities and a food processing site.

The list includes: Arrow Group in Co. Kildare; Aurivo Dairy Ingredients in Co. Roscommon; Kepak Athleague in Co. Roscommon; North Cork Co-op Creameries in Co. Cork; Staunton Foods in Co. Cork and Western Brand Group in Co. Mayo.

There were also five sites from the waste sector on the list, including three waste transfer stations, a landfill site and an anaerobic digestion (AD) plant.

The most common issues identified at the ‘priority’ sites were non-compliance with emission limit values, poor operation of waste water treatment plants and the handling and storage of waste at waste processing sites.

The full list of National Priority Sites for 2022 is as follows:

Image: EPA

The National Priority Sites for Enforcement system was launched by the EPA in July 2017 to drive further environmental compliance at industrial and waste facilities.

It is based on the previous six months enforcement history at all licensed sites.

Image: EPA

Sites which exceed a certain threshold become a National Priority Site and are targeted by the agency for further enforcement action.

The report shows that the EPA visited the Arrow Group site almost 40 times during 2022.

EPA

In total, the EPA carried out 1,434 inspections at licensed sites during the year, which is an 11% increase on 2021. 87% of these inspections were unannounced.

A further 58 inspections were carried out on unauthorised activities which require a licence.

1357 complaints were made to the EPA during 2022, which is a 9% decrease on 2021. The vast majority of complaints related to odour and noise.

10 sites accounted for 76% of all complaints received during 2022.

12 legal actions were heard in the District, Circuit and High Courts during 2022, fines of €14,650 and total costs of €111,103 awarded to the EPA.

Commenting on the annual report, Dr. Tom Ryan, director of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement said:

“The thirteen sites on the National Priority Sites List in 2022 were the subject of targeted enforcement action.

“While this represents only 1.5% of the total sites licensed by the EPA, it is disappointing that the food and drink sector continues to make up a significant proportion of these. A small number of sites is threatening the green sustainable image that sector endeavours to project.

“Our aim is to ensure that all sites, across all sectors, resolve their environmental issues, return to compliance and operate without giving cause for complaints from their neighbours,” Dr. Ryan said.

The report also shows that there were 51 EPA inspections relating to unauthorised industrial peat extraction in 2022, up from 48 during the previous year.

One injunction was secured, there were three district court cases initiated covering 257ha and there was one signed undertaking given to the EPA to cease extraction on 439ha.

The EPA said that eight investigations relating to peat extraction are ongoing.