EPA Prosecutes Greenstar Recycling (Munster) Ltd

On May 4th, 2006 at Cork City District Court the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prosecution against Greenstar Recycling (Munster) Ltd.  Sarsfieldcourt Industrial Estate, Glanmire, Co. Cork was concluded.

The EPA took the prosecution in relation to an offence under Sections 39 of the Waste Management Acts 1996 - 2003 for a breach of its Waste Licence Reg. No. 136- 2. The prosecution related to odour nuisance at the facility, and in the immediate area of the facility.

Judge O’Leary found the case proven but in the circumstances applied the Probation Act and awarded costs to the EPA totalling €20,000.

Greenstar Recycling (Munster) Ltd was granted a waste licence (Reg. No. 136-1) in 2000 and a revised licence (136-2) in 2004 for the operation of a non-hazardous waste transfer station located at Sarsfieldcourt Industrial Estate, Glanmire, Co. Cork.

This prosecution was taken following a significant number of complaints of odour nuisance being made to the EPA between 7th February 2005 and 2nd September 2005 and numerous site inspections undertaken by the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement during that same period.

The EPA welcomed the decision on what was a difficult issue, relating to odour nuisance. This case has underlined the responsibilities of operators of waste activities in relation to their management and prevention of odour nuisance and clarified the role of regulators in their assessment and classification of odour nuisance.