The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has placed six food and drink companies on its national priority site list for 2022.

The companies – two dairy processors, three slaughter plants and one food processing facility – were identified as having issues such as non-compliance with emissions limit values, poor operation of waste water treatment plants or poor handling and storage of waste.

Placed on the list following either announced or unannounced inspections in 2022, the six companies made up almost half of the 13 companies prioritised by the EPA following a total of 1,434 inspections carried out last year.

“The 13 sites on the national priority sites list in 2022 were the subject of targeted enforcement action.

"While this represents only 1.5% of the total sites licensed by the EPA, it is disappointing that the food and drink sector continues to make up a significant proportion of these.

“A small number of sites are threatening the green sustainable image that the sector endeavours to project,” said EPA environmental enforcement director Dr Tom Ryan.

Companies

According to the EPA, Aurivo Dairy Ingredients Ltd, Co Roscommon, and North Cork Co-Op Creameries Ltd, Co Cork, were placed on the list due to their sites’ discharges into water and odour.

The Arrow Group Ltd site, Co Kildare, including the activities of Dawn Farm Foods Ltd, the Culinary Food Group, QK Coldstores Ltd, Dawn Farms Distribution Ltd and Maudlins Waste Management Ltd, was placed on the list for odour and noise.

Discharge into water was one issue several sites were pulled up on. \ David Ruffles

Kepak Athleague, Co Roscommon, and chicken processor Western Brand Group Ltd, Co Mayo, were marked as priority sites due to their discharges to water.

Finally, for the food and drink sector, Staunton Foods Ltd, Co Cork, was placed on the EPA’s list for noise alone.

The other seven companies listed as a priority include Ballyguyroe Landfill (Co Cork), City Bin Co Ltd (Co Galway), Euroflex Teoranta (Co Donegal), Forge Hill Recycling Ltd (Co Cork), Gairdini t/a Munster Joinery (Co Cork), SRCL waste disposal (Co Dublin) and anaerobic digestion site Timoleague Agri Gen Ltd (Co Cork).

Inspections up

In its Industrial and Waste Enforcement Report 2022, the EPA also confirmed that its inspections were up 11% in 2022, compared to 2021 figures. It also said that 87% of these inspections were unannounced.

Some of those on the priority list had non-compliance with emission limit values, says the EPA.

“Our enforcement activities are risk based and are, in particular, targeted at sites that are not complying with their licence requirements.

“We carried out over 1,400 inspections of industrial and waste licensed activities and a further 58 inspections of unauthorised activities which require a licence,” Dr Ryan said.

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