On the 26th May 2009 at Granard District Court, Co Longford Mr Padraig Kiernan 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 to 2007 for breaches of its Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) Licence (Reg. No. PO613-O1).
The licensee admitted breaching conditions of his licence by:
· Failing to ensure a minimum of six months slurry storage capacity at each pig yard.· Failing to ensure that a freeboard of at least 100mm from the top of each covered slurry storage tank and 500mm from the top of uncovered slurry storage tanks were maintained at all times.· Failing to retain on site the Slurry/Manure Register for inspection by authorised personnel of the Agency.
On hearing details of the offences, Judge Neilan applied the Probation Act and, by agreement, costs of €10,461.50 were awarded.
Mr Padraig Kiernan was granted an Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) Licence (Reg. No. P0613-01) on the 12th October 2004 under Class 6.2 – the rearing of pigs in an installation, whether within the same complex or within 100m of the same complex where the capacity exceeds 285 places for sows in an integrated unit. The facility is situated at Glenoghil, Ballinalee, Co Longford.
This prosecution was taken following a site inspection carried out by an inspector from the Office of Environmental Enforcement on 13th March 2007.
