# EPA

EPA reveals Ireland's good and bad bathing sites as improvement continues

A report by

Jamie McCarron

79% of 148 bathing sites surveyed have ‘Excellent’ water quality while 97% meet the minimum standard.

18.0k

May 12th 2023, 12:21 AM

This year

2023

# odours

Meat rendering plant allowed to expand capacity despite complaints of 'rotten' smell over city

The plant had applied to increase its capacity for meat from 375 tonnes of meat per day to 600 tonnes.

26.1k

Feb 28th 2023, 12:05 AM

Last year

2022

Intensive farming set to ramp up if planned pig and poultry farms approved

If given the go ahead, up to 12 million more chickens and 55,000 more pigs would be industrially reared.

If given the go ahead, up to 12 million more chickens and 55,000 more pigs would be industrially reared

This would produce roughly 26,000 tonnes of excrement annually, Noteworthy reports

Climate scientist: Proposed increase 'especially concerning' given impact on ammonia emissions

22.1k

Dec 13th 2022, 12:05 AM

# recycling

Rising levels of waste making it difficult to increase recycling rates, EPA warns

The EPA’s national waste statistics report for 2020 has been published today.

7.5k

Dec 7th 2022, 6:00 AM

# County Councils

Report: Here are the counties performing the best and worst on local environment issues

The EPA has identified the highest and lowest-performing local authorities on issues like air and water quality and waste.

20.7k

Nov 15th 2022, 6:00 AM

# Dirty water

Ireland continues to pump poorly treated sewage into rivers and lakes nationwide

The EPA says just 51% of sewage was treated to the EU standards.

15.2k

Oct 20th 2022, 7:29 AM

Only half of Irish rivers and lakes able to sustain healthy ecosystems for fish and insects

The decrease in water quality is mostly caused by agricultural activities, particularly on the southeast and southern coasts

8.9k

Oct 14th 2022, 6:15 AM

# Uisce

Irish Water too slow at replacing lead pipes – EPA

The EPA said it is ‘unacceptable’ that it would take 24 years to replace Irish Water’s lead pipe connections.

11.0k

Oct 7th 2022, 6:53 AM

# Nuclear Emergency

Ireland's nuclear emergency response plan tested yesterday for the first time in five years

The training exercise was held to ‘test the national response to a nuclear emergency abroad’.

19.8k

Sep 30th 2022, 12:26 PM

# Annual Report

There are 'concerning localised issues' impacting negatively on air people breathe, EPA warns

The EPA has today launched its annual air quality report, Air Quality in Ireland 2021.

9.5k

Sep 20th 2022, 6:15 AM

Public urged to make an Enduring Power of Attorney as research shows just 6% have done so

Safeguarding Ireland has urged people to plan ahead to ‘reduce adult abuse’.

34.5k

Sep 12th 2022, 1:40 PM

# Carlow

Carlow company told to engage with EPA following complaints about strong odour

The council launched an investigation following complaints from residents.

40.9k

Sep 10th 2022, 7:30 AM

EPA seeks report from Waterford council over use of bleach to 'disinfect' rivers since 1980s

A report by

Eoghan Dalton

It comes following outcry over the use of the chemical near popular beaches in the county.

The local authority's use of sodium hypochlorite dates back to the 1988 - far longer than previously thought.

The Environmental Protection Agency has now sought a report from Waterford City and County Council over its use of chlorine.

22.2k

Aug 30th 2022, 12:05 AM

Eamon Ryan says 'we have to do more' as greenhouse gas emissions top pre-pandemic levels

The figures show an increase in emissions of 4.7% in 2021 compared to 2020, when Covid restrictions had led to a significant decrease in emissions.

The Environmental Protection Agency report shows an increase in emissions of 4.7% in 2021 compared to 2020, when Covid-19 restrictions were in place.

There was a 17.6% increase in emissions from the energy industries sector, attributable to a tripling of coal and oil use in electricity generation last year.

Agriculture emissions increased by 3% last year, the third year in a row that emissions have risen in the sector.

24.9k

Updated

Jul 21st 2022, 2:22 PM

The Explainer x Noteworthy: Is Ireland a dumping ground for poultry manure?

Noteworthy’s Niall Sargent and journalist Ella McSweeney tell Susan Daly about concerns over the cross-border poultry manure trade.

3.9k

Jul 9th 2022, 9:30 AM

Deaths of at least 80 cows in last decade linked to spreading of poultry manure

A report by

Niall Sargent

Cross-border investigation reveals concerns over regulation of the trade in poultry litter, an increasingly important natural fertiliser used on crops and vegetables.

16 farms inspected in last decade over concerns with poor spreading of poultry litter, Noteworthy reveals

In the most impactful case, 19 dairy cows died across two farms from botulism linked to litter spreading

Difficult for authorities to identify farms of origin of the litter for inspection or further action

14.3k

Jul 8th 2022, 12:05 AM

'Canary in the coal mine': Protected nature areas under pressure from poultry farming

Cross-border investigation reveals serious environmental and air quality concerns from ammonia produced by the rapidly expanding poultry industry on the island of Ireland.

9.6k

Jul 7th 2022, 6:30 AM

'Potential fraud' in poultry farm planning applications investigated in the North

A report by

Niall Sargent

Noteworthy cross-border project reveals serious concerns over the authenticity of documents claimed to be from an Irish State body.

Falsified or altered Teagasc letters used in 23 poultry farm planning cases in the North, Noteworthy reveals

Both national and local authorities in the North are currently investigating the issue

Several cases of dumping of poultry litter discovered in Northern Ireland since 2015

16.7k

Jul 6th 2022, 12:05 AM

Suspected false documents and illegal dumping: the murky world of poultry manure

Noteworthy reveals serious concerns over authenticity of files used in some poultry farm planning cases in the North and where the manure is going.

14.1k

Jul 6th 2022, 12:01 AM

# Leaks

ESB Networks fined over greenhouse gas leakages at Moneypoint power station

It was fined €1,000 and must pay €20,390 in legal costs over the emission of sulphur hexafluoride in 2018 and 2019.

8.0k

Jun 30th 2022, 5:30 PM

Over half of septic tanks failed inspections in 2021, EPA says

Under a third of septic tanks were also considered a risk to human health and the environment by the EPA.

13.4k

Jun 30th 2022, 8:17 AM

# Investigation

Peat’s Sake: Leading company under EPA spotlight for potential unlicensed extraction

Noteworthy investigation reveals Klasmann-Deilmann Ireland is one of a dozen large-scale peat extractors currently being investigated by the environmental watchdog.

The Irish branch of peat giant Klasmann-Deilmann is being investigated by the EPA in relation to peat extraction in the Midlands, writes Noteworthy’s Niall Sargent

In June 2021, the EPA warned Klasmann it was of the view that the company was committing a serious and ongoing breach of EU environmental law

Almost a dozen other large-scale peat extractors are also under investigation by the environmental watchdog

29.5k

Jun 20th 2022, 12:05 AM

170,000 homes across Ireland thought to be at risk from Radon gas, EPA says

The gas is linked to around 350 new cases of lung cancer in Ireland every year.

23.6k

May 26th 2022, 6:00 AM

# Water quality

EPA reveals Ireland's best and worst quality bathing sites

Just two beaches received a ‘poor’ quality rating.

45.0k

May 13th 2022, 6:15 AM

# peat sake

Peat pressure: Industrial peat extraction in enforcement firing line

Historic problems revealed in crackdown on extraction without planning permission and EPA licensing.

Historic problems in enforcement of large-scale peat extraction in Ireland has led to the loss of precious bog, writes Niall Sargent

Noteworthy investigates the case of Harte Peat found to be operating in breach of EU law

12 other peat extractors are now also subject to ongoing EPA enforcement action

24.8k

Apr 7th 2022, 12:05 AM

High Court orders peat company to halt unauthorised extraction in Midlands

Environmental Protection Agency brought injunction proceedings against Harte Peat Ltd.

21.2k

Mar 21st 2022, 8:00 PM

# peat sake

EPA to investigate complaint about State response to peat extraction on protected bogs

The move from the environmental watchdog comes in response to a complaint from an environmental NGO about illegal cutting.

14.2k

Updated

Mar 2nd 2022, 2:22 PM

One in twenty private water supplies were contaminated with E. coli in 2020, EPA says

An Environmental Protection Agency report said the quality of drinking water from private supplies is “not as good as it should be”.

The agency said 20 of the 380 private group schemes, which serve more than 2,900 people, failed to meet the standard relating to E. coli bacteria.

Twenty-two private group schemes also failed to meet the standard for Trihalomethanes (THM).

Over a quarter of small private supplies, serving food businesses, nursing homes, crèches and B&Bs, were not monitored at all in 2020.

11.2k

Feb 22nd 2022, 12:05 AM

EPA ‘kicked the stool’ from under peat company seeking extraction licence, High Court hears

Harte Peat Ltd is seeking to overturn the EPA’s refusal to examine its applications for a licence it made in 2019.

13.3k

Jan 25th 2022, 6:30 PM

Horticultural peat unlawfully removed ‘much like rock from a quarry’, High Court hears

Environmental Protection Agency is seeking an injunction against Harte Peat Ltd to halt peat extraction in Westmeath.

21.2k

Jan 20th 2022, 7:00 PM

Unlicensed peat extraction causing ‘irreversible’ environmental damage, High Court told

Environmental Protection Agency is seeking an injunction against Harte Peat Ltd to halt peat extraction in Westmeath.

20.5k

Jan 19th 2022, 7:00 PM

All time

Irish people 'overwhelmingly recognise' climate change threat as 90% say we must act on emissions

A report by

Lauren Boland

Only 9% of people think Ireland is too small to make a difference on the climate, a new EPA report has found.

Only 9% of people think Ireland is too small to make a difference on the climate, Lauren Boland reports.

Nine in tene believe that it has a responsibility to act and reduce greenhouse emissions, a new report has found.

The same number of people believe politicians need to be doing "more" or "much more" to address climate change.

16.7k

Updated

Dec 10th 2021, 2:33 PM

# peat sake

New peat legislation slammed as ‘incompatible’ with climate targets and EU law

The Bill, fast-tracked by Fine Gael and Fianna Fail senators, would remove the need for planning permission to extract peat for horticultural sector use.

Legal experts argue that new peat legislation disregards strict EU environmental law, writes Niall Sargent as part of Noteworthy investigation of peat extraction

Bill would give planning exemption to peat extraction for horticulture and pause any ongoing enforcement action until at least 2026

Peatland experts are also concerned the Bill is ' not compatible' with our climate action goals

38.2k

Nov 29th 2021, 12:05 AM

# air quality

'Our actions impact the air we breathe': Report highlights less traffic as key to better air

Pollutants in Ireland’s air in 2020 exceeded guidelines from the World Health Organization.

8.5k

Nov 23rd 2021, 6:15 AM