EPA Prosecutes Kildare Chilling Company
On the 12th January 2006 at Kildare District Court, Co Kildare, Kildare Chilling Company pleaded guilty to charges brought by the Environmental Protection Agency in relation to offences under Sections 8 and 84(2) of the Environmental Protection Agency Acts, 1992 and 2003 for breaches of its IPC Licence (Reg. No. 170).
The Company admitted breaching conditions of its licence by:
- Failing to prevent partially treated effluent from entering the surface water drainage system, which ultimately discharges, to the Tully Stream, a tributary to the Barrow River.
- Allowing emissions to sewer, which were not in compliance with the emission limit values set out in the IPC licence.
- Failing to monitor and analyse emissions to sewer as specified in the IPC licence.
Breach of these conditions has the potential to impair the local environment and cause contamination to surface water. The company have been prosecuted twice previously for similar offences.
On hearing details of the offences, Judge Concannon imposed fines totalling €6,500 and costs totalling €6,000 were also awarded.
Kildare Chilling Company was granted an IPC licence (Reg. No. 170) on 12th May 1998 for the slaughter of animals in installations where the daily capacity exceeds 1,500 units.
This prosecution was taken following an audit carried out by the Office of Environmental Enforcement on the 15th and 16th February 2005.