Date released: September 19, 2019
The EPA has today issued a Proposed Determination on a revised licence to Irish Cement Limited, Castlemungret, Limerick, Co. Limerick for the continued operation of a cement manufacturing plant and an associated inert landfill at Castlemungret, Co. Limerick (Reg. No. P0029-06).
The Proposed Determination provides for the acceptance of non-hazardous waste materials to be used as alternative fuels and raw materials, up to a maximum of 90,000 tonnes per annum. The Proposed Determination contains more than 100 individual conditions relating to the environmental management, operation, control and monitoring of the installation.
The EPA is satisfied that the emissions from the installation when operated in accordance with the conditions of the proposed licence will meet all required environmental protection standards and will not endanger human health or harm the environment in the vicinity of the installation or over a wider area.
Conditions imposed include:
The EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement will monitor and enforce these conditions through environmental audits, unannounced site visits and systematic checks on emissions.
The installation is a cement manufacturing facility at Castlemungret, Co. Limerick. Irish Cement Limited applied for a review of the licence to permit the acceptance of non-hazardous wastes to be used as alternative fuels and raw materials.
The EPA has considered the application and supporting documentation, including an Environmental Impact Statement and a Natura Impact Statement, required under the Habitats Directive, received from the applicant, four thousand one hundred and eighty (4,180) valid submissions received from other parties and the report of its inspector.
Public participation and consultation with statutory consultees was carried out during this EPA licence assessment process.
The Proposed Determination is notified to the applicant, all third parties who made a submission on the application and other statutory consultees and is available on the EPA Website from Thursday 19th of September 2019.
There follows a 28-day period when any person can submit an objection and request an oral hearing. They can also make submissions on other objections.
All objections and submissions on objections will be carefully considered before the EPA Board makes a final decision.
In the event that:
(a) no objection is taken against the proposed decision or,
(b) an objection or objections is or are taken against the proposed decision and the objection or objections is or are withdrawn,
the Agency will make its decision in accordance with the proposed decision and grant the licence as soon as may be thereafter.
As this is the first step in a statutory licensing process, the EPA is not in a position to comment further on the proposed decision.
Further information on the licensing process can be found on the EPA website.