EPA Prosecutes Laois Sawmills Limited

On the 14th June 2007 at Portlaoise District Court, the Environmental Protection Agency took a prosecution against Laois Sawmills Limited in relation to offences under Sections 8 and 86(6) of the EPA Acts, 1992 and 2003 for a breach of its IPC Licence (Reg. No. P0322-01).

 The company pleaded guilty to two charges of breaches of its licence, by failing to notify both the Agency and Laois County Council that an incident had taken place with the potential for groundwater contamination.  This incident related to a spillage of CCA (copper, chromium and arsenic) on the site in November 2003.

On hearing details of the offences from an EPA inspector, Judge Coughlan imposed fines totalling €4,000 and EPA costs of €7,265 were also awarded.

Laois Sawmills was granted an IPC licence (Reg.No. P0322-01) on 9th December 1998.

The facility is located in a semi-rural setting approximately 2 km east of Portlaoise town, County Laois and adjacent to the M7 Portlaoise Bypass at Ballymacken.