Overview

The EPA is responsible for the environmental regulation of large industrial and waste activities. Our objective is to ensure that operators carry on their activities in accordance with their EPA licences.

Our Office of Environmental Enforcement (OEE) works to achieve this objective through a combination of promoting compliance, providing guidance and assistance, monitoring compliance, inspections and sampling, and by taking enforcement actions where necessary. For more information on our activities, see Enforcing Licences, Permits and Authorisations.

The OEE Regional Enforcement Teams are based in our Headquarters in Wexford and in Dublin, Cork and Castlebar. The teams oversee compliance by the licensed sites operating in their regions.

Industrial and waste enforcement data

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Site Visits

514

site inspections carried out in Q1 and Q2 2024. 96% of site inspections were unannounced.

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Complaints

396 complaints received in Q1 and Q2 2024.

91%

of complaints were for odour (50%) and noise (41%)

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Incidents

Incidents are categorised as minor, limited, serious, very serious or catastrophic

The vast majority of incidents reported are minor

corporate compliance

Non-compliances

653

non-compliances recorded in Q1 and Q2 2024 across 209 different sites

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Compliance Investigations

open investigations

107

20 opened in Q1 and Q2 2024

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National Priority Sites

target enforcement effort at licensed operators

with the poorest environmental performance

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Financial Provisions

value of financial provisions

€1090m

in place for financial provisions priority sites

Latest compliance & enforcement Publications

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Industrial and Waste Licence Enforcement 2023 Summary Report

2023 Summary Report

This report provides summary details of the OEEs enforcement activities at licensed industrial and waste sites for 2023.

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EPA Industrial and Waste Licence Enforcement Report 2018

Report for 2018

This report focuses on the enforcement of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) industrial and waste licensed facilities in 2018 by the EPA's Office of Environmental Enforcement.

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EPA Industrial and Waste Licence Enforcement Report 2020

Summary report 2020

This report focuses on the enforcement of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) industrial and waste licensed facilities in 2020 by the EPA's Office of Environmental Enforcement.

Industrial and Waste Licence Enforcement - 202 Summary Report
EPA Industrial and Waste Licence Enforcement Report 2021

Summary Report for 2021

This report focuses on the enforcement of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) industrial and waste licensed facilities in 2021 by the EPA's Office of Environmental Enforcement.

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Industrial and Waste Licence Enforcement 2022 Summary Report

2022 Summary Report

Report provides summary details of the OEEs enforcement activities at licensed industrial and waste sites for 2022

Learn more

Go to our interactive EPA map which shows the locations of industrial, waste and other licensed, permitted and authorised sites