EPA Prosecutes Galmoy Mines Limited

On the 21st of January 2008 at Thurles District Court, Galmoy Mines Limited pleaded guilty to three charges brought by the Environmental Protection Agency in relation to offences under Section 8 and Section 86(6) of the Environmental Protection Agency Acts 1992 and 2003 for breaches of its IPC Licence (Reg. No. P0517-01).

The Company admitted breaching conditions of its licence by:

1.   Carrying out unauthorised disposal of certain waste materials underground;

2.   Failing to maintain a freeboard of one metre at the top of an operational Cell in the Tailings Management Facility which resulted in an over spill of the cell. A Tailings Management Facility is a large lined structure typically constructed above existing ground level, used to contain metal laden slurry waste arising from mining activity. The slurry is required to be contained to one metre below the top of the Cell.

3.   Storing potentially polluting substances in an unbunded area.

On hearing details of the offences from an EPA Inspector, Judge Coughlan imposed fines of  €7,500 and EPA costs of €10,000 were also awarded.

Galmoy Mines Limited was granted an IPC licence (Reg. No. P0517-01) on the 4th day of October 2002 for the extraction and processing of minerals within the meaning of the Minerals Development Acts, 1940 to 1979 and the storage of related mineral waste.  The facility is located at Galmoy, County Kilkenny.

This prosecution was taken following site inspections of the facility by the Office of Environmental Enforcement on 16th August 2006, 24th August 2006 and 19th September 2006.