Agriculture is one of Tipperary’s main industries and is a significant contributor to the local economy. With a world-leading horse industry, acclaimed artisan foods and a large dairy farming sector, protection of the rural economy and the high-quality natural environment is paramount .

Tipperary County Council environment section is responsible for developing and implementing environmental protection policies and programmes aimed at enhancing and maintaining our environment. The input and participation of the farming community is critical to sustaining our environment for future generations.

There are a number of areas where the local authority and the farming communities are working together to bring about improvements to the quality of air, water and the rural landscape, through activities such as awareness-raising and energy reduction measures.

This year we visited eight marts across the county with our information trailer to meet members of the farming community to listen to their concerns and to provide information on a range of topics specific to the agricultural sector.

Air Quality - Burning

Many factors impact on air quality. One of these is backyard burning, which is a traditional way of disposing of waste. It is an offence to burn most household material due to the impact of emissions on human health.

There are exemptions to allow farmers to burn untreated/uncontaminated wood, trees, leaves, bushes or similar materials generated by agricultural practices.

When carrying out a controlled burning, farmers are obliged to complete a statutory burning declaration form, which is available on the local authority website, and return it within five working days before burning takes place. The Fire Service should be notified at 112/999 on the date of burning to avoid any unnecessary call outs.

Protecting Our Water

Households with private wells rely on good-quality water; 17% of people in Ireland get their drinking water from private water sources such as wells and group water schemes. Precautions must be taken to prevent contamination of these drinking water sources.

Many rural households have a septic tank and if these are not functioning properly they pose a risk to our water sources and ultimately to our health. Yearly maintenance of the septic tank and regular testing of private drinking water is advisable. Appropriate precautions should also be taken when slurry spreading or spraying in the vicinity of rivers, wells and boreholes.

Catchment-Friendly Farming

A catchment is an area of land where water collects and eventually flows into a river, lake or coastal area. Activities that occur within the catchment can impact on the quality of the water in that catchment. Healthy catchments are important in providing sustainable safe food and water for industry, the rural economy and communities.

Tipperary County Council promotes catchment-friendly farming by creating an awareness of our shared responsibilities, and we work with stakeholders to develop the knowledge and understanding of individual roles and responsibilities. Working together is the only way to protect and improve water quality for the benefit of all who use it.

Illegal dumping/Fly Tipping

Illegal dumping in the countryside is a major challenge for local authorities to address and while every effort is made to minimise it through CCTV surveillance and prosecutions, it still persists.

We depend on local communities to report such incidents to us. If you see somebody dumping rubbish in your area, you can report details to the Environment Section or use the See it Say It App phone app developed by the EPA. This app is available for downloading from the iTunes app store/Android app store, which makes it easy for people to report a pollution incident the moment they see it. Using the app you can take a photograph of a pollution incident, add a summary description and your contact details and this will automatically be sent to the relevant local authority for follow-up.

Farm Waste – Disposal

The Irish Farm Film Producers Group, a not-for-profit organisation, provides a farm plastics recycling scheme. Farmers can bring waste farm plastics to bring centres during one of the events or organise a farmyard collection by a member of the Irish Farm Film Producers Group.

Collections are hosted annually at bring centres in locations such as marts, co-op premises and at County Council facilities. See www.farmplastics.ie for details of your local event.

When purchasing silage plastic wrap, ensure that you receive a six-digit code on the invoice/receipt. Present this code at bring centres to qualify for a significant reduction in collection fees.

The following material can be recycled at bring centres: silage wrap and sheeting, large fertiliser and feed bags (liners removed), small fertiliser and feed bags, empty rinsed drums/chemical containers (triple rinsed) and netting and twine. Farm plastics are banned from landfills and it is illegal to burn or bury such waste.

Energy in Agriculture

The Energy in Agriculture 2017 event recently took place in Gurteen College. It highlighted opportunities for farmers with regards to renewable energy and how they can adopt a sustainable approach to their farming processes. CL