EPA Prosecutes Uisce Éireann – Miltown Malbay (D0321-01)

Hearing Date: February 09, 2023

On 9th February 2023 the Environmental Protection Agency prosecuted Uisce Éireann at Dublin Metropolitan District Court.

Uisce Éireann pleaded guilty to breaches of conditions of its Waste Water Discharge Licence – D0321-01) by :

  1. Failure to provide safe and permanent access to all onsite sampling and monitoring points on or about the 27th August 2020 as required by condition 4.6 of Licence.

 

  1. Failure to comply with condition 3.3 on the 13th of October 2021, in that one or more specified discharges from the waste water works exceeded the emission limit value for Carbonaceous Biochemical Oxygen Demand as set out in Schedule A: Discharges and Discharge Monitoring of the Licence.

 

  1. Failure to comply with condition 3.3 on the 11th of August 2021, in that one or more specified discharges from the waste water works exceeded the emission limit value for Ammonia as set out in Schedule A: Discharges and Discharge Monitoring of the Licence.

 

  1. Failure to comply with condition 3.3 on the 11th of August 2021, in that one or more specified discharges from the waste water works exceeded the emission limit value for Orthophosphate as set out in Schedule A: Discharges and Discharge Monitoring of the Licence.

 

  1. Failure to comply with condition 3.2 on the 10th of June 2021, in failing to prevent discharges from the waste water works which were not permitted under and in accordance with the licence, in that there was a release of partially treated waste water onto open ground.

Judge Halpin, having heard the evidence, convicted Uisce Éireann on charge 1 and imposed a fine of €1,000 with the remaining charges taken into consideration.  Costs of were also awarded to the Agency.