An unlicensed peat operator has been prosecuted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and fined €3,000 at Athlone District Court.

The unlicensed peat operator, whose name was not disclosed at court, pleaded guilty to a number of offences including “the extraction” of peat on a number of occasions at or about Blyry Lower, Tullycross in Co. Westmeath.

The court heard that he faced two charges “of the extraction of peat in the course of business” at or about Blyry Lower, Tullycross on May 12, 2022 and July 21, 2022 which involved an area exceeding 50ha, without a licence in force.

The unlicensed peat operator also faced a third charge of peat extraction in the course of business at or about Blyry Lower on May 5, 2022, which involved an area exceeding 50ha, without a licence in force.

All three charges contravene Section 82(2) of the EPA Act 1992 (as amended).

Judge Owens convicted the unlicensed peat operator at Athlone District Court on February 3, 2023 on charges one and two and also took charge three into consideration.

Judge Owens imposed fines totalling €3,000-2,000 for charge one, €1,000 for charge two and costs of €4,789 were also awarded. 

Extraction

According to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) peat extraction of an area of greater than 50ha requires both planning consent from a planning authority or An Bord Pleanála and Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) licensing from the EPA.

In a report published by the EPA last year the agency highlighted that natural peatlands are a small carbon sink – absorbing carbon dioxide while emitting methane – but stated that 82% of Irish peatlands “have been damaged to various extents”.

The EPA stated:

“Disturbance from human activities, mainly in the form of drainage (for agriculture and forestry) and peat extraction produce increased carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions, and reduced methane emissions.

“To mitigate emissions from peatlands two actions must be taken: (1) avoid new or recurrent drainage and (2) reduce emissions on the existing drained areas”.