EPA Prosecutes Uisce Éireann – Mullagh (D0252-01)

Hearing Date: February 09, 2023

On the 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 – D0252-01 by:

  1. Failure on or before the 1st of January 2020 to comply with Condition 5.4, in that they did fail to complete the improvements as set out in Schedule C: Specified Improvement Programme of the licence within the timeline required by the licence, namely failing to complete improvements to the Mullagh Waste Water Treatment Plant on or before 31st December 2019 so as to ensure compliance with the emission limit values as set out in Schedule A of the licence.

 

  1. Failure on or about the 8th of January 2020 to comply with Condition 3.3, in that one or more specified discharges from the waste water works exceeded the emission limit value for Orthophosphate (as P) as set out in Schedule A: Discharges and Discharge Monitoring, of the Licence.

 

  1. Failure on or about the 6th of October 2021 to comply with Condition 3.3, in that one or more specified discharges from the waste water works exceeded the emission limit value for Orthophosphate (as P) as set out in Schedule A: Discharges and Discharge Monitoring, of the Licence.

 

Judge Halpin, having heard the evidence, convicted Uisce Éireann on charge 1 and imposed a fine of €1,000 with charges 2 & 3 taken into consideration.  Costs of were also awarded to the Agency.