Kingspan Building Products on EPA 'priority' list
Legal action taken in 2024 by the EPA meanwhile resulted in fines as high as €500,000 for one case alone.
The EPA identified 10 industrial and waste licensed facilities as National Priority Sites in 2024, one of which was Kingspan Building Products Limited, cited with regards to emissions to air and facility management.
Kingspan Building Products Limited is listed as being part of the Chemical sector, through the Food and Drink and Waste sectors continue to dominate the National Priority Sites list overall.
Unauthorised discharges to waterways and odour issues were the most common compliance failures detected by the EPA over the course of 1,300 inspections at 634 licensed facilities last year.
Out of the 905 EPA-licensed sites, 10 were identified as National Priority Sites in 2024. Poor operational management and a lack of investment in infrastructure underpinned the main compliance failures at these priority sites, says the EPA.
Legal action taken in 2024 by the EPA meanwhile resulted in fines as high as €500,000 for one case alone.
Commenting on the latest report, Dr Tom Ryan, Director of the EPA Office of Environmental Enforcement said: “These convictions and the substantial fines imposed are an important endorsement of the 'polluter pays' principle in this jurisdiction. However, with the appropriate management commitment to environmental protection and to sufficient investment in infrastructure, particularly in the treatment of wastewater, all of these sites can comply with statutory requirements and be good neighbours to local communities. Companies that fail to respect their licence conditions, cause nuisance to neighbours and put the environment at risk will be held to account by EPA.”
Speaking to the range of enforcement activities carried out by the EPA, Pamela Mc Donnell, Programme Manager, EPA Office of Environmental Enforcement added that inspections are a “vital enforcement tool” that helps the watchdog to identify and target those failing to comply.
“We completed 1,300 inspections to industrial and waste sites in 2024 and because 96% of our inspections are unannounced, we gain a true picture of real-time compliance challenges at each site, prompting licensees to remain focussed on compliance every day. Legal action also sends a clear message: that non-compliance has serious consequences. While there has been a notable reduction in complaints from the public in the vicinity of licensed facilities, these remain a valuable source of intelligence for our enforcement activity. The EPA will continue to escalate its enforcement activities at those sites with the poorest compliance records.”