Kildare company on environmental agency's priority list after failure to comply with regulations

A business in Kildare has been listed among the top priority sites when it comes to their failure to comply with necessary environmental standards.

The Arrow Group in Naas, which is based in the Maudlins Industrial Park, has once again fallen foul of the Environmental Protection Agency who yesterday published their Industrial and Waste Licence Enforcement Report 2017.  The report gives details of compliance levels and enforcement activities across the 800 licensed facilities in 2017.

In total there were over 1500 site inspections were completed, with 91% of those inspections unannounced. Six sites were inspected 20 or more times and there were 22 prosecutions concluded in 2017, including one DPP case. Over €374,000 in fines and costs were awarded and over 1000 complaints were received about licensed facilities. Of those complaints, odour issues decreased by 42% while noise complaints increased by 68%. The Food & Drink sector had the poorest compliance, including the most number of non-compliance and the highest number of prosecutions.

Commenting on the report Mr Gerard O’Leary, EPA Director of the Office of Environmental Enforcement said:

“The EPA targets its enforcement efforts at the most non-compliant facilities.  The publication of the National Priority Sites system last year has driven environmental compliance and seen much needed investment in environmental infrastructure.  Over half of the sites who have appeared on the Priority Sites list have been convicted or are facing prosecution.”

Of the sites to be placed on the list, four of them are from the agri-food sector; this sector has accounted for almost half of all priority sites since publication last year. Of the 19 sites published on the list since it commenced, 13 have either been convicted or now face prosecution. Four sites have come off the previous National Priority Site List following improvements in compliance.

Ms Mary Gurrie, Programme Manager, EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement commented:

“The National Priority Sites system has exceeded our expectations as a tool to drive environmental compliance. Companies have come off the list in the past year by improving operational practices or making significant investment in infrastructure.    Sites in the agrifood sector have dominated the list (11 of 19 sites) and compliance in this sector needs to improve.”

The following are the National Priority Sites for January-June 2018.  The EPA will update the National Priority Sites list on a quarterly basis.

If you have a story or want to send photos or videos to us please contact the KildareNow editorial team. via our Facebook, via our email at content@kildarenow.com or on 045 409350 during office hours.