EPA Prosecutes Alert Packaging Limited

On the 8th June 2004 at Bray District Court, Alert Packaging Limited pleaded guilty to three charges under Sections 8 and 84(2) of the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992 after the company had breached conditions of its Integrated Pollution Control licence.

The charges related to the failure by the company to comply with emissions limit values for discharges to atmosphere as set out in its licence.

The Court heard that, since the EPA took the proceedings, the company had installed costly abatement equipment, thus limiting the air pollution to licensed standards. Additionally, the company has obtained a revised licence, which has brought it into compliance with its regulatory requirements.

Having regard to the circumstances and the cost of the compliance measures the court imposed a fine of €10 for charge 1 and took charges 2 and 3 into consideration. Costs of €3,079 were awarded to the Agency.

The company, located in the IDA Business Park, Bray, Co Wicklow, is a flexographic printing company, specialising in food-grade metallised wrappers and plastics and is licensed to use coating materials in processes with a capacity to use at least 10 tonnes per year of organic solvents under licence Register Number 366*.

The prosecution was taken in light of sampling and analysis results for emissions to atmosphere by the Office of environmental Enforcement (OEE) and the outcome of OEE site investigations.

*The Agency issued a revised licence to the company (Reg. No. 676) on 13th May 2004