The licensed facility most complained about to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) so far this year is Tipperary Co-operative Creamery, according to the agency’s newest data.

As AgriLand recently reported, Tipperary Co-op and Arrow Group are two of six sites identified as National Priority Sites by the EPA, following complaints made about industrial/waste odours this year.

Also Read: Tipperary Co-op and Arrow Group subject to EPA enforcement following complaints

There was a 24% decrease in overall complaints received by the EPA in 2019, however, that trend has been reversed in 2020 with more complaints (986) having been received up to the end of Q3 2020 than for all of 2019 (608).

The increase in complaints is primarily due to the increase in odour, noise and air quality complaints during Q2 2020. These are the three main complaint issues this year – with odours comprising 61% of complaints, noise 24% and air quality 10%.

Whilst odour complaints remain the main issue of complaints received, three sites account for 52% of all the odour complaints received by the EPA over the nine-month period to the end of Q3 2020, these being: Tipperary Co-op (134, 22%); Merck Millipore Limited (95, 16%); and Gas Networks Ireland Limerick Gasworks (85, 14%).

According to the EPA, noise complaints are also a “consistent source of complaint” from the public, with an average of 26 complaints per month received by the EPA. 44% of all the complaints relate to one site, that being the Arrow Group site in Naas, Co. Kildare.

Some of the most complained about facilities this year with the number of complaints:
  • Tipperary Co-op: 138;
  • Arrow Group: 133;
  • Dairygold Co-op Society Ltd (Mallow): 24;
  • Rosderra Irish Meats Group (Edenderry): 21;
  • Hermitage Farms Limited (Clifden): 20.

National Priority Sites List

Last week, the EPA also published its updated National Priority Sites List.

Six sites were identified as National Priority Sites for the period from April to September 2020, from three sectors – waste, food and drink and the chemical sector.

Four of these sites, including Tipperary Co-op, Arrow Group, Merck Millipore Ltd and Limerick Gasworks, accounted for 51% of all industrial/waste odour complaints in 2020.

Three sites have been removed since the EPA last published the list in July 2020 – Merck Millipore Ltd, Raffeen Landfill Site and Greyhound Recycling and Recovery.

The continued poor compliance status and presence of Arrow Group as a National Priority Site remains a “serious concern to the EPA” and the facility is the subject of ongoing enforcement action.

The Arrow Group includes the activities – at a licensed site – of: Dawn Farm Foods Ltd; TCFG Naas Ltd (also known as The Culinary Food Group); QK Coldstores Ltd; Dawn Farms Distribution Ltd; and Maudlins Waste Management Ltd.