EPA Prosecutes Kepak Athleague

On the 16th January 2007 at Roscommon District Court, the Environmental Protection Agency took a prosecution against Kepak Athleague in relation to offences under Sections 8 and 86(6) of the Environmental Protection Agency Acts 1992 and 2003 for breaches of conditions of its IPC Licence (Reg. No. 0168-01).

The company pleaded guilty to two charges namely permitting emissions to the water, which exceeded the emission limit values set out in Schedule 2 (i) of the licence and also providing the Agency with information that was false or misleading in a material respect.

Breach of these conditions had the potential to cause contamination of the River Suck without the Agency’s knowledge.

On hearing details of the offence from the EPA’s solicitor, Judge Browne imposed fines totalling €4,000 and the EPA’s costs of €6,552 were also awarded.

Kepak Athleague was granted an IPC licence (Reg.No.0168-01) on 18th December 1997. The facility is located on the banks of the River Suck in Athleague, Co. Roscommon where it operates a slaughtering facility with associated processing and cold storage facilities.

This prosecution was taken following a site visit carried out on 27 September 2005 by the Office of Environmental Enforcement.