On the 13th March 2009 at Waterford District Court, PPI Adhesive Products Limited pleaded guilty to five charges brought by the Environmental Protection Agency in relation to offences under Sections 8 and 86(6) of the Environmental Protection Agency Acts, 1992 to 2007 for breaches of its Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) Licence (Reg. No. P0093-01).
The Company admitted breaching conditions of its licence by:-
1. Exceeding emission limit value to the atmosphere;2. Failing to keep appropriate training records for personnel;3. Failing to maintain an environmental management document system which was to the satisfaction of the EPA;4. Failing to maintain a programme for the identification and reduction of fugitive emissions to air which was to the satisfaction of the EPA; and5. Failing to develop a dedicated Bypass Response Procedure.
On hearing details of the offences, Judge Kennedy imposed fines of €1,000 on charge 1, taking the other charges into account, and awarded EPA costs of €5,155.
PPI Adhesive Products Limited was granted an IPC Licence (Reg. No. P0093-01) on the 19th May 1997 for a Class 12.2 activity – the use of coating materials in a process with a capacity to use 10 tonnes per year of organic solvents. The facility is situated at Waterford Industrial Estate, Waterford City, Co Waterford.
This prosecution was taken following air monitoring and an audit carried out by inspectors from the Office of Environmental Enforcement on 23rd January 2008 and 7th February 2008 respectively.
