SEA Environmental Report - Southern Region Part 3 of 3

Transcription

[SouthernRegion]
5.2.7 CulturalHeritage
The main issue for archaeological, architectural and cultural heritage associated with the
implementation of the RWMP is the resulting potential for both direct and indirect impacts on
archaeological and architectural features and their settings as a result of siting of waste
management infrastructure and also as a result of illegal dumping and fly tipping in proximity to
these sites. There is also the potential for direct and indirect impacts on currently unknown
archaeologicalfeaturesduringconstructionofnewfacilitiesand/orremediationoflegacylandfills.
With that in mind, it is recognised that impacts to specific monuments and subsurface unknown
archaeologyaremoreappropriatelyassessedataprojectlevele.g.proposalforanewwastefacility.
At the strategic level of the RWMP, focus will be on appropriate siting guidance that can alleviate
conflict at later stages in the planning hierarchy and contribute to avoidance of risk as far as
possible.ThesitesandfeaturesconsideredaspartoftheculturalheritagebaselinefortheRWMP
includethoselistedonthe:

Record of Monuments and Places (RMP), which is the statutory list of all known
archaeological monuments in Ireland and is compiled by the Archaeological Survey of
Ireland,partoftheDepartmentofArts,HeritageandtheGaeltacht;

NationalInventoryofArchitecturalHeritage(NIAH),whichidentifies,recordsandevaluates
the post1700 architectural heritage of Ireland, uniformly and consistently as an aid in the
protection and conservation of the built heritage. NIAH surveys provide the basis for the
recommendations of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to
theplanningauthoritiesfortheinclusionofparticularstructuresintheirRecordofProtected
Structures;and

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Heritage
List,whichincludesculturalandnaturalheritagesitesaroundtheworldconsideredtobeof
outstandingvaluetohumanity.
Table 521 presents the number of features listed on each of these within the counties of the
SouthernRegion.
Table521–NumberofListed/DesignatedCulturalHeritageResourcesinEachCounty
RMP*
NIAH
UNESCO
Carlow
1,783
305
Clare
7,855
473
Cork
18,705
9,224
Kerry
13,759
873
1
Kilkenny
4,849
2,124
Limerick
7,814
3,189
TipperaryNorth
3,450
870
TipperarySouth
5,123
1,486
Waterford
3,349
2,834
Wexford
3,660
2,855
*RMPcountsexcluderedundantrecords
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[SouthernRegion]
ThereisoneUNESCOsiteintheSouthernRegion,SkelligMichaelwhichissituatedinCountyKerry.
Thereareanadditional7UNESCOsitesnationallywhichhavebeensubmittedonthetentativelist.
Of these, 3 occur within the region and include the following: the Burren and Inis Cealtra (Early
Medieval Monastic Sites); Cashel (Royal Sites of Ireland); and Cahercommaun, the Burren County
Clare, Caherconree and Benagh, Dingle Peninsula and Staigue, Iveragh Peninsula, County Kerry
(comprisingtheWesternStoneForts).
5.2.7.1
ExistingEnvironmentalPressures/Problems:CulturalHeritage,Archaeologyand
Architecture
Waste quantities and waste management activities resulting from economic growth and increasing
population are placing pressure on sites or features of architectural, archaeological or cultural heritage
interest.Individualdevelopmentsputdirectpressureonthisresource,whereitisinproximity,orwhereit
increasesthepotentialtointeractwithknownorpreviouslyunknownsitesandfeatures.Togetherwith
the existing pressures on landscape and visual resources, this can result in an impact on the overall
culturalheritageresource.
5.2.8 Landscape
CurrentlythereisnoagreedNationalLandscapeStrategyandasaresult,theprotectionofnational
landscape character types is not available. Instead local authorities conserve and protect scenic
valueasareasofhighamenity,highsensitivity,areasofoutstandingnaturalbeauty,protectedviews
andsimilardesignationsbuttheapproachisuncoordinatedandcanleadtodifferentprioritisations
inneighbouringcounties.Eachlocalauthorityisresponsibleforthedesignationofthesewithintheir
individual jurisdictions, with each development plan providing objectives to protect such scenic
values.
TheDepartmentofArts,HeritageandtheGaeltachtissuedforpublicconsultationinJulyofthisyear,
a draft National Landscape Strategy for Ireland – 20142024. The overall vision of the strategy is
statedas:
“Our landscape reflects and embodies our cultural values and our shared natural heritage
and contributes to the wellbeing of our society, environment and economy. We have an
obligation to ourselves and to future generations to promote its sustainable protection,
managementandplanning.”
Intimethisislikelytostandardisetheapproachnationallybutfornowacoordinatedbaselineisnot
availableatthenationalorregionallevel.
The Southern Region covers an area of around 29,589km2 which represents about 42% of the
country.ThetopographyoftheSouthernRegionincludeslowlandareaswithrichagriculturalland,
peatlands, forest and mountainous areas. The extensive coastline, which comprises the eastern,
westernandsouthernboundaryoftheregion,isapproximately4,050kmlong(includingislands)and
includesvariousbays,estuaries,andportionsoftheIrishSea,CelticSeaandAtlanticOcean.
TheregionfeaturestheMcGillicuddyReeksinKerry,withCarrauntoohilasIreland’shighestpeak(at
1,038m) through to County Carlow which forms part of the Great Plain of Ireland. County Clare
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[SouthernRegion]
contains the Burren limestone pavement landscape, while Lough Derg and the Shannon River and
Estuary strongly influence the topography in the northwest of the region. The topography of
LimerickCountyandnorthCorkmainlycomprisesfertilelowland,withmountainrangessuchasthe
Ballyhourastotheeast.Tothesouth,Corkischaracterisedbyrivervalleysandridgeswhichruneast
to west – the main rivers are the Blackwater, Bride, Lee and Bandon. In the west Cork area, the
mountains include the Boggeragh, Derrynasagart, Shehy and Caha Mountains. Tipperary features
agriculturallowlandsandhigherareas,themostsignificantofwhicharetheGalteeMountainsand
the Silvermine Mountains to the north of the county, and the renowned Slievenamon peak near
Clonmel.Inthesoutheastoftheregion,themainmountainrangesaretheKnockmealdownsand
the Comeraghs in Tipperary and Waterford. Also to the southeast is the Leinster Massif which
occupies the zone between the River Slaney and the River Barrow, and includes the Blackstairs
Mountains,withMountLeinsteratitspeak.
GiventhestrategicnatureofSouthernRWMP,andintheabsenceofsitespecificlocationsforfuture
waste management facilities, it is difficult to provide more relevant baseline information for
Landscape.
5.2.8.1
ExistingEnvironmentalPressures/Problems:Landscape
Waste quantities and waste management activities resulting from economic growth and increasing
population is placing pressure on sites or features of scenic value. Existing pressures on landscape and
visual resources are primarily related to impacts to sensitive views and landscapes resulting from the
secondaryimpactsfromthesitingofdevelopment.Theabsenceofacohesivenationallandscapestrategy
which seeks to preserve and /or protect such historical and cultural landscapes, landscapes of amenity
andsocialvalueandfeaturesofscenicvalueplacesmuchoftheemphasisonlocalauthorities,however
theapproachestakenareoftennotconsistent.
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[SouthernRegion]
5.3 INTERRELATIONSHIP
The interrelationship between the SEA environmental topics is an important consideration for
environmental assessment. Figure 515 highlights the key interrelationships identified in this SEA.
Thesepotentialinterrelationshipshavebeentakenintoaccountintheassessmentofthedifferent
alternatives. A key interrelationship is between air quality, climate and human health. Methane
emissions from landfilling have impacts on air quality and consequently human heath but in
addition,methaneisasignificantgreenhousegasthatcancontributetoclimatechangeandflooding
whichinturnhasimplicationsforpopulationandhumanhealth,particularlyincoastalregions.
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Air,Climatic
Factors
X
X
X
X
Material
Assets
X
X
X
X
X
X
Cultural
Heritage
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Air,Climatic
Factors
Material
Assets
Cultural
Heritage
Biodiversity,
Flora,Fauna
Population
/Human
Health
Soil
Water
Landscape
Water
Soil
Population
/Human
Health
Biodiversity
Flora,Fauna
Landscape
Figure515–InterrelationshipsbetweentheSEATopics
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[SouthernRegion]
5.4 LIKELYEVOLUTIONOFTHEBASELINEWITHOUTIMPLEMENTATIONOF
THEPLAN
TheSEAlegislationrequiresthatconsiderationisgiventothelikelyevolutionofthecurrentbaseline
where implementation of the plan does not take place. In the draft EPA Strategic Environmental
AssessmentProcessNoteforWasteManagementPlans,thisisfurtherclarifiedasthe“businessas
usual”scenariowheretheexistingplancontinuesintothefuture.Inthecaseofwastemanagement,
this would mean a situation where the 10 waste regions remained in place with their respective
wasteplans.
Table522LikelyEvolutionoftheBaselinewithoutImplementationoftheRWMP
KeyIssue
LikelyevolutionwithouttheSouthern RWMP
WithouttheimplementationoftheSouthern RWMPthebiodiversity,floraandfauna
oftheregion,includingprotectedsites,habitatsandspecies,wouldcontinuetoexistin
much the same pattern, abundance and density as today however there would be
continued pressure on biodiversity as a result of ongoing legacy issues from historic
landfills e.g. emissions from leachate effecting soil, groundwater and surface water
Biodiversity,flora
dependantecosystems;illegaldumping;andbackyardburning.Whilstthecontinuation
andfauna
of the 10 waste regions set up and their associated waste management plans would
offersomeprotectiontobiodiversity,thefragmentedanduncoordinatedresponseto
theseissuesunderthepreviousplanningmodelislikelytoresultincontinuednegative
pressures on the Natura 2000 network and also national and local biodiversity sites.
Thenewsetupshouldprovideforgreatercoordinationbetweenlocalauthoritiesin
assessingthewastetreatmentcapacitydeficitsandavoidconstructionofunnecessary
infrastructureandtheassociatedimpactstobiodiversity.
Populationand
humanhealth
In the absence of the Southern RWMP, waste management activities could not be
coordinated to allow for greater resource efficiencies and to better reflect the
movementofwastewithinandto/fromtheregion.Previousplanshavestruggledto
resourceactionsandreachdefinedtargets,partiallyduetothefragmentedviewpoint
deliveredbya10regionmodel.Thelackofcoordinatedresourceswouldcontinueto
deliveruncoordinatedinfrastructureandprogrammesindifferentpartsofthecountry.
Thiscouldcontributetoincreasesinunmanagedwastematerial,backyardburningand
illegal dumping. These practices in turn will give rise to deterioration of air quality,
waterandsoilsqualityandinturntohumanhealthwhichcouldbeavoidedthrougha
morecoordinatedapproachunderwasteplansunderthenew3regionconfiguration.
Intheabsenceoftheplanitislikelythattightercontrolswouldstillbeputinplaceon
unsustainable residential development, including one off housing thereby curbing
difficultiesinservicingadispersedpopulation.
Intheabsenceofthe SouthernRWMP,theprogrammeofremediationofunregulated
historiclandfillsandlicensedsiteswouldcontinuealbeitonamoreadhocbasisthan
wouldbeimplementedthroughthenew3regionconfigurationwhichallowsformore
effective and efficient management of local authority resources. The EPA Code of
Soil,Geologyand Practice: Environmental Risk Assessment for Unregulated Waste Disposal Sites (EPA,
2007)andtheGuidanceoncontaminatedLandandGroundwateratEPALicensedSites
Hydrogeology
(EPA, 2013) would continue to be used when assessing unregulated historic landfills
and licensed facilities. The principal aim in dealing with contaminated land and
groundwaterrelatedissuesistosecuretheprotectionofhumanhealth,waterbodies
(includinggroundwater)andthewiderenvironment.
Water
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In the absence of the RWMPs, the water quality in Ireland is likely to continue to
improve in line with efforts being made by the RBMP and Programme of Measures
(PoM)throughoutIreland.Therateofthisimprovementinsurfacewaterswillremain
insufficienttomeettherequirementofachievinggoodstatusinallwatersby2015as
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[SouthernRegion]
KeyIssue
LikelyevolutionwithouttheSouthern RWMP
required by the Water Framework Directive and the main challenges: eliminating
serious pollution associated with point sources; tackling diffuse pollution; and using
the full range of legislative measures in an integrated way to achieve better water
qualitywouldremain.ThesecondcycleoftheRBMPandPOMwouldbeinitiatedwith
continuedgainsexpectedregardlessoftheRWMP.Theadvantageofhaving3regions
over10regionsisthataparallelreviewprocesscouldbeundertakenwiththeSouthern
RWMPandtheSouthEastern,SouthWesternandShannonRBMP.
AirqualityinIrelandisofahighstandardacrossthecountry,meetingallEUairquality
standards,accordingtotheEPA.TheabsenceoftheRWMPisnotexpectedtoaffect
thistrend.
Airandclimatic
factors
As a result of manmade greenhouse gas emissions, climate change is predicted to
occurinthefutureregardlessofaction.TheUNIntergovernmentalPanelonClimate
Change(IPCC)intheirClimateChange2007:ClimateChangeImpacts,Adaptationand
Vulnerability Report predict sea level rise, changes in rainfall patterns and
temperatures as well as changes in the frequency of droughts and extreme weather
events. The potential impacts from sea level increases, increased flooding, summer
droughts,etc.,mayimpactonwastemanagement.
In the absence of the RWMP the uncoordinated approach to provision of waste
managementinfrastructuretomeetdemandscouldresultinunnecessaryimpactson
existingairquality.
Materialassets
The RWMP incorporates the requirements of existing directives, regulations and
measures to reduce pollution. It provides for the coordination of these controls to
reduce impacts to the environment and examines how waste management activities
are impacting the wider environment and the measures needed to address these
negativeeffects.Intheabsenceoftheplan,wastemanagementintheregionwould
continue to be managed in a less coordinated manner, thus the cumulative and
synergistic impacts on the environment of increasing population figures across the
regionwouldcontinue.
Criticallythenewframeworkwillallowforamorecoordinatedapproachtoassessing
waste management infrastructure requirements within the state to manage waste
(including municipal waste) nationally and regionally and avoid the unnecessary
development of waste infrastructure and subsequent significant overcapacity of
certaintypesofinfrastructure.
Culturalheritage
existing cultural heritage resource. The new framework will enable a greater
concentration of resources, while still addressing geographical and other relevant
differences.
Landscape
existing designated landscapes. The new framework will enable a greater
concentration of resources, while still addressing geographical, land use and other
relevantdifferences.
5.5 KEYPRESSURESINTHESOUTHERNREGION
Table523givesasummaryoftheprincipalenvironmentalrelatedproblemsexperiencedwithinthe
SouthernRegionandhowtheRWMPisgoingtodealwiththeseissues.
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[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
Populationand
HumanHealth
Biodiversity,Flora
andFauna
Aspect
Indirect impacts to biodiversity, flora and fauna
occur via air or water emissions from waste
facilities. Former waste disposal sites may for
example,giverisetorunoffandleachate.There
is also potential for disturbance associated with
transport of waste, remediation of landfill sites
andbackyardburning.
Direct impacts to biodiversity, flora and fauna
occur where facilities are sited in or near
protectedhabitatsgivingrisetohabitatlossand
disturbancefromconstructionand/oroperation.
EnvironmentalProblemsFromWasteActivities
The Southern Region incorporates all or
part of 12 city and county council
administrative areas as follows: Carlow,
Clare, Cork City and County, Kerry,
Population growth influences waste
generation. Historically the amount of
wasteproducedhasincreasedinlinewith
human activities and population growth.
In recent years however this trend has
alteredandeventhoughthepopulationin
the State has continued to grow, the
latest household waste data shows a
“substantial drop in municipal waste
generationbetween2007and2011”(EPA,
2011).
The distribution of population between urban
centres, rural villages, community clusters and
one off housing in Ireland presents ongoing
challenges for waste management in Ireland.
There are ongoing challenges to ensure that
householders in particular fully participate in
organised waste collection services to ensure
thatratesforunmanagedwastedecline.Whileit
is likely that much of the unmanaged waste in
the region is making its way to legitimate waste
collection and treatment centres, it is also likely
that a portion of wastes are disposed of
inappropriately through backyard burning and
illegaldumping.Thereactivitiespresentariskto
air and water quality in particular which in turn
IntheSouthernRegionthereare143SACs
and 58 SPAs which are protected under
the EU Habitats and Birds Directives. A
further489sitesaredesignatedasNHAor
proposed NHAs. In addition, the region plays host to rivers holding the highly
sensitive and protected freshwater pearl
mussel and salmonids as well as marine
waters which hold shellfish and
commercialseafishstocks.
Irelandsupportsawidevarietyofspecies
and habitats, many of which are of
international importance (Natura 2000
sites), however, significant aspects of
biodiversity in Ireland are under threat
from a range of unsustainable waste
activities.
EnvironmentalCharacteristic
Table523–KeyEnvironmentalPressuresintheSouthernRegion
[SouthernRegion]
84
Siting criteria have also been included in the
draft RWMP to help ensure siting of new
facilitiesgoingforwardwilltakeenvironmental
considerations into account as early as
possible.
Specific Policies and Policy Actions relating to
regulationandenforcementareincludedinthe
draft RWMP with the aim of reducing
unauthorisedwasteactivities.
Specific Policies and Policy Actions are also
included in relation to awareness, waste
prevention, environmental protection and
reducing unmanaged wastes – See Policy
ActionsBandGindraftRWMP.
considerations into account as early as
possible.
included in relation to waste prevention,
environmental protection and reducing
unmanaged wastes – See Policy Actions B and
GindraftRWMP.
A Strategic Policy has been added to protect
the environment, with particular reference to
theNatura2000network.
HowisthisaddressedinthedraftRWMP
can impact human and animal health. For
example there are 8 illegal sites known in the
region and one of these is currently classed as
highriskandrequiringremediation.
Kilkenny, Limerick City and County,
Tipperary,WaterfordCityandCountyand
Wexford. The total population of the
Southern Region in the most recent 2011
census was just under 1.3 million, an
increaseof6.5%sincethepreviouscensus
in2006.
85
ThequalityofsoilsinIrelandisconsidered Historiclandfillsandillegaldumpinginparticular The draft RWMP specifically includes Policy
generally good although there are continue to have potential to negatively impact Actions on protection which include
pressures impacting on its longterm onthesoilandgroundwaterresourceasaresult remediation of high risk historic unregulated
Inadequate local authority resources to
proactively implement waste prevention
campaigns and strategies has been noted as an
issuegenerallyintermsoftheRWMP.Prevention
is the key to sustainable waste management.
Less waste produced will result in lower risk to
the environment and human health overall and
willhavepositiveshort,mediumandlongterms
positiveimpacts.
TheHSEreportedinits2012ontrendsin
health in Ireland and with reference to
results from both the European Union
Statistics of Income and Living Conditions
(EUSILC) and the Census 2011 indicate
thatingeneralterms,Irelandcontinuesto
have the highest percentage of its The emissions to water arising from waste
population reporting either good or very management can include leachate and
goodhealth(HSE20128).
suspended solids from regulated and
unregulated disposal sites, cooling waters from
treatment facilities, litter and exhaust emissions
fromthetransportationofwasteassociatedwith
heavygoodsvehiclesetc.
HealthinIreland2012KeyTrends,publishedbytheHSE
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8
SpecificPoliciesandPolicyActionsareincluded
in the draft RWMP to address resourcing of
local authority staff for prevention activities
and to support and implement existing
While emissions to air and water may also arise preventionactivitiessuchastheNWPP.
from authorised waste activities these are
generally limited to levels set by the EU or
nationallytoprotecthumanhealth.Emissionsto
air arising from waste management can include
those from landfill, thermal treatment,
composting, anaerobic digestion and also
exhaust emissions from the transportation of
wasteassociatedwithheavygoodsvehicles.
Soils,geologyand
hydrogeology
Aspect
[SouthernRegion]
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
Water
Aspect
[SouthernRegion]
Risks to water are posed by, former disposal
sites, illegal dumping and inappropriate disposal
of unreported wastes as well as other activities
suchasillegalwastemovementandlitter.Illegal
dumping of waste in vulnerable areas (e.g.
permeable sites) has the potential to impact on
waterasaresultofleachate.Forexamplewhere
tyresareillegallydisposed,theprimaryfactorsof
The Southern Region incorporates all or
part of four River Basin Districts: the concern are that elements from the metal
SouthEastern, the SouthWestern, the threading within the tyre, the fuel residue and
the rubber itself leaching into groundwater and
ShannonandtheWestern.
Overall water quality in Ireland is good
relative to other EU countries; however
Ireland faces some considerable
challenges in the coming years to meet
the requirements of the Water
Framework Directive and other water
directives.
86
GindraftRWMP.
A Strategic Policy has been added to protect
the environment, with particular reference to
theNatura2000network.
slow and this means the risk to soils and ThedraftRWMPalsoincludespoliciesrequiring
groundwater remain high in areas where waste each region to develop and agree a road map
prioritising for investigation and remediation
hasbeendisposedofinappropriately.
the ranked landfills (taking into account the
scaleofriskandimpactsontheenvironment).
Groundwater is a major natural resource
in the Republic of Ireland and provides
approximately 2025% of the drinking
water supplies for the entire country. For
the Southern Region, groundwater
vulnerability exhibits a range of
The has had regard, through the SEA, to the
vulnerability ratings classified by Low risk
policies and objectives set out in the Water
up to Moderate, High, Extreme and ‘X’,
Framework Directive which requires that all
where the rock is exposed near the
Member States implement the necessary
surfaceorcomprisedofkarst.
measurestopreventdeteriorationofthestatus
There are over 8,200 groundwater wells
of all waters including groundwater and
and springs in the Region (those with the
protect, enhance and restore all waters with
highest positional accuracy). Of these,
the aim of achieving at least good status by
approximately 243 are at the appropriate
2015.
abstraction yield to provide for potable
watersupply.
of leachate and presence of contaminated landfill sites (1977 – 1996) and legacy
unregulatedlandfillsites(pre1977).SeePolicy
materialinthesoilsfraction.
Progress on illegal sites in particular has been ActionG.
protection and maintenance particularly
from land use changes, intensification of
use, urbanisation and disposal of organic
wastes to soils. The EPA noted in their
2012reportonIrelandsEnvironmentthat
littleattentionhasbeenpaidtoprotection
ofsoils
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AirQuality
Aspect
[SouthernRegion]
Air quality in Ireland is generally good.
Irelandisnotheavilyindustrialisedandas
a small island with frequent wind and a
mild climate, pollutant dispersion is
relatively good. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
and fine particulate matter (PM10 and
PM2.5) are now the primary threat to the
qualityofairinIreland.
Transportemissionsarealsoasignificantfeature
ofwastemanagement.Domesticallythisrelates
to kerbside collections and also delivery of
wastestobalingstationsandregulatedrecovery
anddisposalsites.Therehasbeengrowingtrend
in Ireland to export residual wastes and this
incurs considerable ship/marine and road travel
which gives rise to further transport related
emissions.Astheeffectsofshippingfeltoutside
the state, the impact of shippingrelated
emissionsbecomesaglobalissue.
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The overall strategy as outlined in the draft
RWMP is for Ireland to become selfsufficient
therebyaddressingtheproximityprincipleand
Authorised waste facilities operate within a
license / permitting regime which includes
controlofemissionstoair/water/soils.The
draft RWMP does not deal with specific
projectsbutdoesincludeSitingcriteriatohelp
ensuresitingofnewfacilitiesgoingforwardwill
take environmental considerations into
account as early as possible e.g. proximity to
residentialhousing.
Specific policies and Policy Actions are also
Unregulated activities such as backyard burning GindraftRWMP.
and fireside burning are both activities that Specific Policies and Policy Actions have been
continue to be a feature of waste activity in included to address communities/areas of low
Ireland.Thisunregulatedburningcangiveriseto collection coverage. The actions are focussed
thereleaseofparticulates,dioxinsetc.whichcan at both understanding behaviours at the
be harmful to human health and the household level and also working with service
environment.
providerstofindsolutions.
Airemissionsareafeatureofbothregulatedand
unregulated waste activities. With regulated
activities there has been control through
licensingandpermittingprocedures.
considerations and flood risk areas into
These impacts to water can have indirect accountasearlyaspossible.
negative effects on ecosystem functioning The has had regard, through the SEA, to the
including impacts on vulnerable habitats and policies and objectives set out in the Water
species and also on commercial aspects such as Framework Directive which requires that all
shellfishing.
Member States implement the necessary
measurestopreventdeteriorationofthestatus
of all waters including groundwater and
protect, enhance and restore all waters with
the aim of achieving at least good status by
2015.
surfacewaters.
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ClimaticFactors
Aspect
[SouthernRegion]
There has been a growing trend for residual
wasteexportsforrecoveryatfacilitiesoutsideof
Ireland leaving Ireland with potentially
inadequateindigenousrecoverycapacity.
Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions (per
capita) are among the highest in Europe.
The agriculture and transport sectors
remain the principal sources of GHG
emissions.
The export of residual wastes to other locations
outside Ireland gives rise to shippingrelated
transportemissionssuchasCO2,NOx,particulate
matter etc. Transport emissions have the
potential for direct negative impacts on air
qualityandclimateaswellaswaterquality(both
freshwater and marine environments where
waste is shipped to other countries). The
transport also has the potential to indirectly
impact on biodiversity, human health through
deterioration of water quality and air quality,
disturbance of habitats and species, generation
of GHGs which can in turn impact on flooding
The main GHG emissions in relation to thedraft
RWMPsarefromtransportofwaste,inparticular
exported wastes. Road transport emissions are
considered more damaging than shipping (per
tonne of waste) and roadtransportgivesrise to
emissions in the form of oxides of nitrogen,
particulate matter and CO2. Generation of
methanefromlandfillsisalsoaclimateissue.
Thesixprimarygreenhousegasescovered
bylegislationincludecarbondioxide(CO2),
methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O),
hydrofluorocarbons
(HFCs),
perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulphur
hexaflouride (SF6). Carbon dioxide (CO2)
and methane (CH4) are the primary gases
relatingtothewasteindustry.
88
The overall strategy of outlined in the draft
providing security going forward for
government and industry in relation to how
waste can be dealt with in the indigenous
economy without unsustainable reliance on
outside economies. This reduction in
international transport will result in
significantly less transport related emissions
however it is noted local emissions may
increase as waste which may have been sent
for export is transported to and from facilities
withinIreland.
outside economies. This reduction in
international transport will result in
significantly less transport related emissions
however it is noted local emissions may
increaseaswasteistransportedwithinIreland.
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Landscape
MaterialAssets
Aspect
[SouthernRegion]
The overall strategy of outlined in the draft
outsideeconomies.
Specific Policies are included in the draft
RWMP to implement EU and national waste
legislation which requires the role out of a 3
bin system. In addition the draft RWMP
recognises legislation in preparation which
There is a lack of sufficient recovery would also seek to increase the level of 3bin
infrastructuretodealwithresidualwasteswhich providedacrosstheregion.
is being landfilled and exported for recovery
abroad.
Inconsistent roll out of the three bin household
waste collection system within the region is
leading to biodegradable waste going
unnecessarilytolandfillortorecovery.Similarly,
a significant portion of biodegradable waste
withinthecommercialwastestreamisnotbeing
diverted from the residual bin and significant
quantitiesarebeinglandfilledorbeingrecovered
ratherthanbeingrecycled.
Therehasbeenafailuretoensurethereuseand
recycling of construction and demolition (C&D)
waste resulting in reduction in finite natural
resourcessuchasgeologicalandenergyreserves.
andlanduse,etc.
89
Currently there is no agreed National Existing pressures on landscape and visual Siting criteria have been included in the draft
Landscape Strategy for the county. resources are primarily related to impacts to RWMP to help ensure siting of new facilities
Instead local authorities conserve and sensitiveviewsandlandscapesresultingfromthe going forward will take environmental
The export of residual wastes from Ireland to
recovery facilities abroad also results in loss of
potentialenergyrecovery.
Indigenous infrastructure capacity for
residual wastes and recyclables is limited
whichleavesIrelandreliantontheexport
market and transfers environmental
impacts of waste consumption and waste Unmanaged household waste contributes to
managementabroad.
backyard burning and illegal dumping. The
environmental impacts associated with these
activities include damaging air quality and
possibility human health, deterioration of the
natural environment and water and ground
pollution from waste degradation. Reduced
biodiversity depending on location of fly
tipping/burningetc.canalsooccur.
The waste collection sector has also
changed significantly with the majority of
local authorities exiting the waste
collection market and the majority of
active landfills are set to run out of
licensedcapacityintheshortterm.
Waste management in Ireland has
traditionallybeendrivenbytreatmentand
disposal options but the previous waste
plansbroughttheuppertiersofthewaste
hierarchyintoplaywithsignificantefforts
to promote the message of reduce reuse
andrecycle.
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
CulturalHeritage
Aspect
[SouthernRegion]
Thereisalsothepotentialfordirectandindirect
impacts on currently unknown archaeological
features during construction of new facilities
and/orremediationofillegalorhistoriclandfills.
The main issue for archaeological, architectural
and cultural heritage associated with the
implementation of the RWMP is the resulting
potentialforbothdirectandindirectimpactson
archaeological and architectural features and
In addition to archaeological sites, the their settings as a result of siting of waste
region also includes a number of sites of management infrastructure and also as a result
ofillegaldumpingandflytippinginproximityto
architecturalheritage.
thesesites.
Ireland and the Southern Region are rich
inarchaeologyandhaveauniquecultural
heritage environment. Of particular note
totheregionisSkelligMichaelsituatedin
CountyKerrywhichisaUNESCOsite.
TheSouthernRegionhasarichandvaried
landscape character reflective of the
spatialdistributioncoveredbytheregion.
Inadditiontheissueofillegaldumpingcontinues
to have negative effects on landscape quality,
ofteninmoreremoteandnaturalplaces.
90
Siting criteria have been included in the draft
RWMP to help ensure siting of new facilities
going forward will take environmental
considerationsintoaccountasearlyaspossible
secondary impacts from the siting of waste considerationsintoaccountasearlyaspossible
infrastructure.
protect scenic value as areas of high
amenity, high sensitivity, areas of
outstanding natural beauty, protected
views and similar designations but the
approach is uncoordinated and can lead
todifferentprioritisationsinneighbouring
counties.
[SouthernRegion]
6 ENVIRONMENTALPROTECTIONOBJECTIVESANDSEA
FRAMEWORK
Because SEA, as its name suggests, is set at a strategic level, it is not possible for the baseline
environmenttobedescribed(andassessed)inasmuchdetailascouldbedoneforaprojectlevel
environmentalimpactassessment.Instead,SEAusesasystemofobjectives,targetsandindicators
tosetaframeworkforassessmentoftheplan.
In order to streamline the assessment process, this report has used broad themes, based on the
environmentaltopicslistedintheSEADirective,togrouplargeenvironmentaldatasets,e.g.,human
health, cultural heritage and climate. Assigned to each of these themes is at least one highlevel
Strategic Environmental Objective (SEO) that specifies a desired direction for change, e.g. reduce
CO2 emissions, against which the future impacts of the plans can be measured. These highlevel
Strategic Environmental Objectives are then paired with specific targets. The progress towards
achieving these specific targets is monitored using Indicators, which are measures of identified
variablesovertime.
6.1 DEVELOPMENTOFSTRATEGICENVIRONMENTALOBJECTIVES,TARGETS
ANDINDICATORS
6.1.1 StrategicEnvironmentalObjectives
ThereareessentiallythreetypesofobjectivesconsideredaspartofthisSEA.Thefirstrelatestothe
objectives of the plan. The second relates to wider Environmental Objectives, i.e. environmental
protection objectives at a national, European and international level (see Chapter 4), and finally
therearetheStrategicEnvironmentalObjectives(SEO),whichweredevisedtotesttheeffectsofthe
SouthernRWMPonthewiderenvironment.
TheselectedSEOforthisSEAaresetoutinTable61.Theseenvironmentalobjectivesarebasedon
the current understanding of the key environmental issues having regard to the environmental
protectionobjectivesoutlinedinChapter4(andAppendixA).Adraftsetofobjectiveswasincluded
intheSEAScopingReportpreparedfortheSouthernRWMPwhichunderwentpublicconsultationin
Q2 of 2014. The objectives have been updated prior to the assessment based on feedback from
statutory consultees and the public on the draft objectives. Guidance from the EPA through their
SEAProcessNoteforRWMPinparticularhasinfluencedtheevolutionoftheobjectiveswhichensure
the focus of the assessment is on all of the possible impacts associated specifically with waste
managementissuescoveredbythedraftplan.
6.1.2 StrategicEnvironmentalIndicatorsandTargets
The overall purpose of environmental indicators in the SEA is to provide a way of measuring the
environmentaleffectofimplementingthePlan.Environmentalindicatorsarealsousedtotrackthe
progressinachievingthetargetssetintheSEAaswellasthePlanitself.Targetswereconsidered
overthedurationofthebaselinedatacollectionandassessment,andthroughouttheconsultation
process,inordertomeettheSEOsaswellastheobjectivesofthePlan.
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
91
[SouthernRegion]
Theproposedtargetsandindicatorshavebeenselectedbearinginmindtheavailabilityofdataand
the feasibility of making direct links between any changes in the environment and the
implementationofthePlan.Forthisreason,wherepossibletargetsandindicatorshavebeenbased
on existing published targets such as Irelands Action Plan for Biodiversity 20112016, which set
nationalobjectives,targetsandindicatorstomeasureIreland’sprogressinprotectingbiodiversity,in
linewithourcommitmentsundertheConventiononBiologicalDiversity(CBD).
Theobjectives,targetsandindicatorsassociatedwitheachtopicareaarepresentedinTable61.Itis
notedthatsometargetsandindicatorsrelatetomorethanoneobjective.Itisfurthernotedthatin
certaincases,targetsandindicatorsarenotrelevantorrealisticatthisstrategiclevelandwherethis
isthecase,thishasbeennotedinthetable.
.
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
92
Target
Auditofprogressintheimplementationof
mitigationmeasurestwoyearspostadoptionof
theplanandatcompletionoftheplanperiod.
Thestatusofprotectedhabitatsandspeciesas
reportedtotheEU(reportdueeverysixyears,first
reportin2007).
Indicator
Increase expenditure on waste prevention Totalprevention/reusebudgetperannumineach
activities(includingeducation,awareness,training Local Authority as a % of total spend on waste
etc.)toaminimumof15c/inhabitant.
management.
EnsuremitigationmeasuresfromtheSouthern
RWMPSEAandAAarefullyimplementedwithin
theplanperiod.
[BasedonnationalTarget17ofIreland’sAction
PlanforBiodiversity20112016].
Majorityofhabitatsorspeciesin,ormoving
towards,favourableconservationstatus.
Rollout the plan for remediating historic closed
landfillsprioritisingactionstothosesiteswhichare
the highest risk to the environment and human
health.
Number of authorised sites remediated in the
region.
Number of authorisations granted for sites to be
remediated.
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
Obj.6:Water
93
No deterioration in water status attributable to StatusofwaterbodiesasreportedbytheEPA.
waste.
Protect water quality and the water resource from waste
Number of authorisations granted for sites to be
Remediate high risk Class A unregulated landfill remediated.
activities.
sites (1977 – 1996) and prehistoric unregulated
Safeguardsoilqualityandquantityfromwasteandreduce
soilcontamination.
Obj.5:Soils
Obj.4:PopulationandHumanHealth
Increase the number of households availing of
Numberofhouseholdsintheregiononakerbside
kerbsidewastecollectionservicesprioritisingareas
collection.
Promoteandencourageaccessandservicesforappropriate withexistinglowuptake.
wastemanagementforall.
Quantityofunmanagedwasteintheregion.
Protecthumanhealthfromtheimpactsofwaste
managementbyensuringwastepreventionandrelated
activitiesarepromotedatcommunityandindividuallevel.
Obj.3:PopulationandHumanHealth
Integrate biodiversity considerations into the Southern
RWMP.
Obj.2:BiodiversityFloraandFauna
Preserve, protect and maintain the terrestrial, aquatic and
soil biodiversity, particularly EU and nationally designated
sitesandprotectedspecies.
Obj.1:BiodiversityFloraandFauna
StrategicObjective
Table61SEAObjectives,TargetsandIndicators
[SouthernRegion]
StrategicObjective
Quantityofunmanagedwaste.
Numberofexceedancesrelatingtoairqualityand
noiseatwastelicensedfacilities.
Applicationofsitingguidelinesthroughthe
planningprocess.
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
94
Number of strategic flood risk assessments
completed for waste related infrastructure within
theregion.
Reduce the level of exports of residual waste Quantityofresidualwasteexportedannually
outsidethestate.
(Quantifiednationally).
Prepare siting guidelines based on the siting
criteria laid down in the plan within one year of
plan adoptionto assist in the sustainabledelivery
ofnecessarywastemanagementinfrastructure.
Nonewwastemanagementinfrastructuresitedin
areasatriskofsignificantflooding.
Reduceto0%thedirectdisposalofresidual
municipalwastetolandfill(from2016onwards).
Achieve the performance target of preparing for %municipalwasterecycled(measurednationally).
reuse and recycling rate of 50% of municipal Quantity of residual kerbside household waste
wastesby2020.
sentfordisposal.
Achieve1%reductionperannuminthequantityof
household waste generated per capita over the Quantityofhouseholdwastegeneratedpercapita
(measurednationally).
planperiod.
Reductioninuncontrolledburning/disposalof
waste.
Reduceexceedancesofemissionlimitstoairfrom
wastelicensedfacilities.
Target
Indicator
sites (pre 1977) Class A sites) in accordance with Number of authorised sites remediated in the
theplanagreedintheEPAauthorisationoverthe region.
lifeoftheplan.
Protect places, features, buildings and landscapes of More appropriately dealt with at project (EIA) Moreappropriatelydealtwithatprojectlevel.
cultural,archaeologicalorarchitecturalheritagefromimpact level.
asaresultofwasteactivities.
Obj.11:CulturalHeritage
Minimisetransportimpactsofwastemanagementactivities.
Obj.10:MaterialAssets
Supportsustainablewastemanagementactivitieswithout
conflictingwithenvironmentalprotectionobjectives.
Obj.9:MaterialAssets
Minimisecontributiontoclimatechangebyreducing
emissionsofgreenhousegassesassociatedwiththe
preventionandmanagementofwastesandadapttothe
potentialeffectsofclimatechangethroughappropriate
sitingofwasteinfrastructure.
Obj.8:ClimaticFactors
Minimiseemissionsofpollutantstoairassociatedwith
wastemanagement.
Obj.7:AirQuality
[SouthernRegion]
Promotesustainablemanagementofwasteatanindividual,
community,regionalandnationallevel.
Obj.13:Social
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
StrategicObjective
Protectandmaintainthenationallandscapecharacter.
Obj.12:Landscape
[SouthernRegion]
Target
Moreappropriatelydealtwithatprojectlevel.
Indicator
95
Achieve1%reductionperannuminthequantityof
household waste generated per capita over the
Quantityofhouseholdwastegeneratedpercapita
planperiod.
(measurednationally).
Achieve the performance target of preparing for
%municipalwasterecycled(measurednationally).
reuse and recycling rate of 50% of municipal
wastesby2020.
Quantity of residual kerbside household waste
sentfordisposal.
Reduce to 0% the direct disposal of residual
Moreappropriatelydealtwithatprojectlevel.
[SouthernRegion]
7 ALTERNATIVES
7.1
INTRODUCTION
TheconsiderationofalternativesisarequirementoftheSEADirective(2001/42/EC).Itstatesunder
Article5(1)9that;
WhereanenvironmentalassessmentisrequiredunderArticle3(1),anenvironmentalreportshallbe
prepared in which the likely significant effects on the environment of implementing the plan or
programme, and reasonable alternatives taking into account the objectives and the geographical
scope of the plan or programme, are identified, described and evaluated. The information to be
givenforthispurposeisreferredtoinAnnexI.
The term ‘reasonable’ is not defined in the legislation. Good practice points to the analysis of
‘alternatives’asbeingaconstructiveandinformativeexerciseforthepolicymakers,andthatonly
‘possible’optionsforpolicyareexamined.
Alternatives are required to take into account the objectives of the Plan. The alternatives study
therefore must operate within the strategic objectives, set out for the Plan, and provide an
examinationofalternativemeansofimplementingtheplan.Section3.14oftheDEHLGGuidelines10
notes that the higher the level of the Plan, the more strategic the options which are likely to be
available.
TheDirectivedoesnotprescribeatwhatstageconsiderationofalternativesshouldbeundertaken,
however,topresentausefulinputintotheplanmakingprocess,allguidancepointstoconsidering
alternativesasearlyaspossible.Guidancealsorecognisesthatmultiplelayersofalternativesmay
exist,particularlyforplansofthisnature.
7.2
APPROACHTOALTERNATIVESFORTHESOUTHERNREGION
Early discussion of possible alternatives was undertaken as part of the scoping for the Southern
RWMP, which was the subject of public consultation. This chapter of the Environmental Report
considers alternatives in greater detail and outlines the reasonable alternatives which have been
developedthroughtheevolutionofthedraftplan. Giventhenatureofthe plan,severallevelsof
alternativeshavebeenconsideredbeforearrivingatapreferredoption.BoththePlanteamandthe
SEA team have been conscious of the need for iteration in this regard and consideration of
alternatives therefore started early in the process by considering strategic needs initially before
considering policy alternatives. The plan is not prescriptive about location of future services or
specifictechnologiestobeusedthereforethesetypesofalternativeshavenotbeenaddressed.
9
Directive2001/42/ECOntheassessmentofeffectsofcertainplansandprogrammesontheenvironment,EC
2001
10
ImplementationofSEAdirective(2001/42/EC):AssessmentoftheEffectsofCertainPlansandProgrammes
ontheEnvironment,DEHLG2004
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
96
[SouthernRegion]
At the strategic level, given the statutory requirement [under both EU and national waste
managementlegislation]fortheplantobereviewedandupdated,itisnotproposedtoassessado
nothingscenarioorbusinessasusualscenariosasneitherareconsideredrealisticgiventhatthere
hasbeenasignificantchangeinthemakeupofwasteregionssincethelastRWMPwerepublished.
AllWMPsinexistencewereevaluatedandtheevaluationsrecommendedpreparationofnewplans
whenthereconfigurationoftheregionswascomplete.Itwasnotedthatthedecisiononthenew
waste regions was taken as part of a higher level policy outlined in Government National Waste
Policydocument,AResourceOpportunity11whichascertainsthatthetimehascomefortheregional
waste planning framework to be reshaped to allow for greater resource efficiencies in the
implementationoftheplansandtobetterreflectthemovementofwaste.Thedecisionmakingin
relation to this has been taken at a national planning policy level and the regional plans will give
effecttothisnationalpolicy.Changingthenationalpolicyisnotconsideredareasonablealternative
forconsiderationwithintheregionalplancontext.However,itisacknowledgedthattheimplication
ofthechangeinboundaryareaswasraisedbyanumberofstakeholdersduringconsultationonthe
SEA Scoping for the RWMP. Much of the concern raised related to the environmental impacts
associated with transport and treatment of wastes from a much larger geographical area which
includes the administrative areas of Carlow, Cork, Clare, Kerry, Kilkenny, Tipperary and Wexford
CountyCouncils,LimerickCityandCountyCouncil,WaterfordCityandCountyCouncilandCorkCity
Council.Inthisregarditisnotedthatthepolicyactionshavebeenassessedconsideringthesenew
boundaries.
7.3
ASSESSMENTPARAMETERS
The approach used for assessing alternatives for the draft Southern RWMP was an objectivesled
assessment.Eachalternativehasbeenassessedagainstasetofstrategicenvironmentalassessment
objectives(SeeChapter6fordetailsoftheobjectives).Theassessmentcomparesthelikelyimpacts
intermsoftheStrategicEnvironmentalObjectivestoseehowalternativesperforminrelationtothe
statedenvironmentalobjectives.
Forthepurposesofthealternativesassessment:

Plus(+)indicatesapotentialpositiveenvironmentalimpact;
Minus()indicatesapotentialnegativeenvironmentalimpact;
Plus/minus(+/)indicatesthatbothpositiveandnegativeenvironmentalimpactsarelikely
orthatintheabsenceoffurtherdetailtheimpactisunclear;and
Zero(0)indicatesneutralornoenvironmentalimpact.
The following notation is used in the assessment tables: BFF (biodiversity, flora and fauna); PHH
(population and human health); S (soils); W (water); AQ (air quality); CF (climatic factors); MA
(materialassets);CH(culturalheritage);L(landscape);andSoc(social).
Undereachalternativeadiscussionispresentedtosupporttheassessmentparametersshownand
the reason for choosing the preferred alternative. Assessments include qualitative and where
possiblequantitativeinformation.
11
AResourceOpportunity.WasteManagementPolicyinIreland,DECLG2012
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
97
[SouthernRegion]
7.4
STRATEGICALTERNATIVES
Earlydiscussionswiththeplanteamidentifiedthreeissuesofastrategicnaturewhichcoulddrive
thedirectionoftheplan.TheseissuesandtheirreasonablealternativeswereconsideredbytheSEA
teamandoutcomesfedbacktotheplanteamforconsideration.Theissuesandalternativeswere:

Retainingalineareconomymodelversusshiftingtowardsacirculareconomymodel;
Selfsufficiencyversusrelianceonexportsfortreatmentofresidualmunicipaltypewaste;
Inclusionofmandatorytargetsonlyorinclusionofadditionalnonmandatorytargets.
7.4.1 Retainingalineareconomymodelversusshiftingtowardsacirculareconomy
model
Traditionalindustrialmodelsofextraction,productionandconsumptionfollowamaketakedispose
linearmodelwhereproductsandgoodshavingreachedtheirendoflifearediscardedoutaswaste.
For the current approach to continue and thrive it assumes resources are plentiful and will
constantlybeavailableatlowcostpricestomeetdemand(Figure71).Growingglobalpopulation,
increasing wealth and unsustainable consumption have heightened the demand for resources
driving prices up and leading to significant pressure on resources and on the wider environment.
IrelandisoneofthehighestconsumersofmaterialspercapitaintheEU.Arecentreport12funded
bytheEPAindicatedthatin2010Ireland’sconsumptionwas25.5tonnesperpersoncomparedtoan
EUaverageof16.5tonneswithanannualexpenditureonmaterialsestimatedtobebetween€40
€50billion.
Figure71CircularEconomyandLinearEconomyModels
12
RoadmapforanationalresourceefficiencyplanforIreland,EPA,2014
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
98
[SouthernRegion]
Thecirculareconomymodelisnotanewconceptandbuildsonothersimilarindustrialregeneration
modelssuchascradletocradledesign.Itfundamentallyconsiderswasteasaresourcewhichcanbe
recirculated into regenerative systems which focus on maintaining, repairing, reusing, refurbishing
andrecyclingmaterialsandproducts.Beingresourceefficientandindoingso,gettingmorefrom
lessresourcesiscentraltothismodel.TheEuropeanCommissionhasadoptedaCircularEconomy
PackageasitmovestoformallyestablishthecirculareconomyblueprintacrossallMemberStates.
Thisalternativerecognisesthisshift.
Thelinearmodelalternativeperpetuatesthemaketakedisposeattitudetoresourcesandleadstoa
lossofnaturalresourcesandimpactsonwaterquality,airqualityandclimatefrommanufacturing,
production, logistical and waste disposal processes. Intensification of production to meet higher
consumerdemandsfor“new”materialsisalsolikelytoresultincontinuingpressureonbiodiversity
through habitat and species loss and degradation and also on water and soil quality and quantity.
ManufacturingandproductioncangiverisetoincreasedCO2emissionsandotherGHGimpactingon
climate change and indirectly on populations and health through climate effects such as sea level
rise.
SignificantImpacts:
BFF
PHH
S
W
AQ
CF
MA
CH
L
Soc
Linear
+/
+/
+/
Circular
+
+
+
+
+
+
+/
+
+
+
Preferred Alternative and Reasons for Choosing the Preferred Alternative: The preferred
alternativeisshiftingtowardacirculareconomy.
The circular model alternative focuses on reducing waste and resource loss altogether by re
manufacturing, reusing and recycling materials and products such that one person or industry's
waste becomes another's raw material. This approach requires a fundamental shift in how
producers and consumers interact in the supply chain. Manufacturers for example must produce
items that: have a longer life cycle which allows for repair rather than disposal if broken; can be
disassembled and refurbished rather than replaced; contain materials which can be recycled and
recovered rather than outright disposal of all components. For manufacturers to make this shift
theyhavetobesureconsumerswillfollow.
Thismodelinvolvesamindandbusinessshiftacrossallsectorsifitistoberealisedproperly;there
areexamplesofindividualregenerativecyclesinIrelandbutafullscaleshifttothiswayofthinking,
buildingandreclaiminghasnotyetoccurred.Environmentallyashiftofthisnaturewouldreduce
theneedforvirginmaterialswhichwouldinturnleadtoreducedemissionstoairandwater.This
wouldhavesignificant,positivelongtermeffectsforairqualityandclimateinparticularandalsoon
water quality. Indirectly this would also have positive impacts for biodiversity and human health.
Asthebulkofourresourcesareimported,transportrelatedemissionswouldalsoreducewithdirect
positiveimpactsforairqualityandclimateandindirectimpactsforhumanhealthandbiodiversity.
The move to this model would likely see an increase in activity in the secondary material market
withindigenousreuse/refurbishmentactivitiesdevelopingwithenvironmentalandsocialbenefits.
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99
[SouthernRegion]
ExamplesofthisarealreadyhappeninginIrelandatboththeindividuallevelandatindustrylevel
e.g.SMILEResourceExchangeisaCorkbasedorganisationoperatedbyMacroomEandisapublic
body partnership. SMILE stands for Saving Money through Industry Links & Exchanges. It is a
networkofbusinessesthatreuseeachother'ssurplusproducts,byproductsandreusableitemsin
order to save money and help the environment by extending the life of materials and diverting
wastefromlandfill.Thenetworkiscreatedthroughanonlineplatformoflisteditemse.g.wanted
items/available items and through face to face resource exchange events. These activities have
resultinginsavingsinrelationtorawmaterialsandenergyusageaswellasenvironmentalbenefits
fromreducedemissionstowater,air(e.g.CO2,GHG)etc.
Inrecentyearsanumberofcarboncalculatortools(GreenhouseGasProtocol,PAS2050,ISO14067)
havebeendevisedtoidentifythecarbonfootprintofproductsthroughthefulllifecycle(i.e.from
cradle to grave). The life cycle analysis considers the footprint of raw materials, transport,
production,packaging,waste,etc.Thishasenabledproducerstoidentifythecarbonfootprintfrom
virginmaterials(i.e.thelineareconomymodel)andfromrecycledmaterials(i.e.thecircularmodel
economy)toallowforintercomparisonoftherelativefootprintofeachmodel.
As an example, recycling aluminium (circular model) saves 95%of the energy required to produce
aluminium from raw materials (linear model) (source: Repak). The comparison for other waste
streamswouldvarybuttypicallytherecycledmaterialhasalowerfootprintthanthevirginmaterial.
Thisistruenotonlyofgreenhousegasesbutalsoinrelationtootherairemissionssuchasacidifying
gases.Assuch,emissionsfromthecirculareconomymodelaretypicallylowerthanthosefromthe
lineareconomymodelillustratingthatfromanairqualityandclimatesustainabilityperspectivethe
circularmodelisthepreferredalternative.
7.4.2 SelfsufficiencyversusRelianceonExportsforTreatmentofResidualMunicipal
TypeWaste
Presently much of Ireland’s residual municipal wastes are dealt with through a combination of
landfill, thermal recovery in the form of wastetoenergy, coincineration and exports (to thermal
facilitiesoverseas).Irelandiscurrentlyexpectedtomeetits2016landfilldiversiontargetsaheadof
schedule.Thelandfilllevyismovingwasteawayfromlandfilltoindigenousandoverseasthermal
recoveryfacilities.Since2000,increasingvolumesofwastearebeingsenttooverseasfacilities.The
rate of export of RDF/SRF continues to gather momentum and is increasing annually with over
300,000 tonnes of residual type waste exported in 2013. Low cost gate fees are currently being
offeredbyEuropeanrecoveryplantsandoperatorsintheIrishmarkethaverespondedbysending
Irish waste to these facilities for treatment. However should this scenario change and gate fees
increaseasavailablecapacityfalls,theexportsolutionwillbecomemorecostlyandlessreliableand
ultimatelyplaceoperatorsinamorevulnerableposition.
Irelandcurrentlyhasinadequateactivethermalrecoverytreatmentcapacitytorecoveritsresidual
municipal waste. There is currently 435,000 tonnes of active thermal recovery capacity in Ireland
(includingcementplantswhichcoincineratewasteasanalternativefuel)withanadditional727,875
tonnes nationally of pending authorised capacity (considering only facilities with both planning
permission and an EPA licence). With treatment capacity increasing in Ireland it is expected the
volume of material exported will decrease. The future scale of activity in the export market will
dependonthequantityofresidualwastebeinggeneratedintheState,thecontinuedavailabilityof
landfillandthepriceoftreatmentinIrishfacilitiescomparedwithexportingthematerialoverseas.
Thegatefeepricefortreatingwastewillbethecriticalfactorinwhetherwastesaredealtwithin
IrelandorcontinuetobeexportedifcheaperoptionsexistinEurope.
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100
[SouthernRegion]
For residual municipal wastes the aim of government policy is to develop indigenous recovery
infrastructure to replace landfill and for the State to become selfsufficient. This outcome will
provide security going forward for government and industry in relation to managing our residual
wastewithoutunsustainablerelianceonoutsidemarkets.
SignificantImpacts:
BFF
PHH
S
W
AQ
CF
MA
CH
L
Soc
Selfsufficiency
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
Export
+/
0
0
+/
+/
+/
0
0
0
alternativeisselfsufficiencyformunicipaltyperesidualwaste.
Oneofthebiggestissuesassociatedwithexportversusselfsufficiencyrelatestowhereimpactsand
benefitsare actuallyfelt. Byexportingwasteweexportmanyoftheassociatedimpactsincluding
emissionstoairandwater,transportemissionsetc.
In terms of air quality and greenhouse gases, the principle impact relating to this strategic policy
relatestotransportemissionsincludingbothroadandshippingemissions.Theextentoftheimpact
is largely dependent on the distance travelled and to a lesser extent the mode of transport. The
averageGHGemissionspertonneofcargoforroadandshippingfreightasdevisedbyDepartment
fortheEnvironment,FoodandRuralAffairs,UK(Defra)arelistedbelow:

AverageHGV 0.14993kgCO2epertonne.km
Averagecontainership
0.01906kgCO2epertonne.km
The figures indicate that transporting waste by ship generates less GHG per km than transport by
road as shipping is more efficient in transporting waste. However the distance travelled is also a
criticalelementtoconsider.
In 2013 over 300,000 of residual municipal waste was exported from the State accounting for
approximately 20% of the residual waste market. Most of this waste (97%) was exported to the
Netherlands(47%),Germany(28%),Sweden(13%)andDenmark(9%).
Forillustration,twoscenariosarepresentedinthetableaselfsufficiencytargetscenarioandan
exportscenariotoillustratethescaleintransportrelatedGHGemissionsfromthetwooptions.It
canbeassumedthatthedisposal/recoveryemissionsarelargelysimilarforbothscenariossothese
arenotincludedintheanalysis.
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[SouthernRegion]
Scenario
TransportGHGEmissions
Description
(kgCO2epertonne)
SelfSufficiency
TransportofwastefromaWTSintheSouthern
Region100kmtoarecovery/disposalsitewithin
theRegion
14.99
Export
TransportofwastefromaWTSintheSouthern
Region100kmtothePortofCorkandviashipto
thePortofRotterdam(1057km)andtoa
recovery/disposalsitewithin100kmoftheport.
50.13
In the sample scenario, GHG transport emissions per tonne of waste for exporting the waste are
approximately 3.3 times greater than the selfsufficiency option. The relative differences would
change for other European ports which would be at greater distances from the Port of Cork.
Furthermore, any exports outside of the EU would generate even higher GHG emissions from
transport.
It is also important to note that the selfsufficiency option will have localised air quality impacts
withintheregioninparticulartheimmediateareasaroundthewastefacilities.Thesemaybeboth
nuisance impacts such as dust and odour as well as health based impacts such as emissions of
combustion gases and fine particulates. These localised effects are addressed through the waste
licensing/permittingregimeandregulatedbytheEPAandlocalauthorities.Whiletheseimpactsare
importantonalocallevel,theregionalimpactofthetransportelementistheprincipledriverinthis
assessment.
Transportrelatedemissionsalsohavethepotentialfornegativeimpactsontheaquaticenvironment
(bothfreshwaterandmarineenvironments),onbiodiversity,floraandfaunafromdeteriorationin
air and water quality, from disturbance of habitats and collisions with marine mammals. The
contribution of transport to GHG emissions also has consequences for climate change and in
particularfloodingwhichinturnhasnegativeimpactsforpopulation,humanhealth,biodiversityand
materialassets.
Inadequate indigenous solutions for residual wastes has the potential for negative effects for
materialassetssuchasjobsandeconomicbenefitsassociatedwiththeinfrastructureandtreatment
of the wastes. The value of residual waste exports is a loss to Ireland in terms of the revenue
generated from gate fees and more importantly the energy, in the form of electricity and heat,
producedandsoldbyEuropeanrecoveryfacilitiestoendusers.
The lack of an adequate indigenous treatment market will result in a continued reliance on the
exportmarketandlong–termmarketuncertaintywillremain.MarketoperatorsandtheStatewill
be vulnerable to potential market shocks and increasing treatment prices. It is likely the levels of
availabletreatmentcapacityoverseaswilldeclineovertheplanperiod,withsomeplantsexpected
to close. Foreign direct investment may be lost and the economic and job creation gains from
treatingresidualwasteinIrelandwillcontinuetobeexportedoverseas.
Theselfsufficiencyalternativehas,itself,potentialfornegativeeffectswhichwouldbefeltwithin
Irelandasnewfacilitieswouldneedtobebuiltresultinginlandusechanges,emissionstoairand
water (albeit controlled), disturbance of biodiversity, flora and fauna and populations to facilitate
newbuildsetc.AnyfacilitylocatedwithinIrelandwillhavethepotentialforsomeemissionslocally
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comparedtothescenariowherewasteisexported(seeexampleaboveforcomparison).However,
these impacts should not be significant as they will be controlled by the waste and IPC licensing
system. Any emissions would be within licensed emission levels that are based on standards
intended to protect human health and the environment. Any facility with the potential for energy
recovery will have environmental benefits by offsetting the use of other fossil fuels, which may in
somecasesberegardedasrenewableenergy.
However, this alternative offers the greater potential to develop a more sustainable and stable
strategy for the longterm management of residual wastes. The value of residual waste, economic
andenvironmental,wouldberealisedtothebenefitofIrelandanditscitizensandbusinesses.New
indigenous infrastructure for residual waste would be viewed as part of the wider strategy for
managingwastesconsistentwiththewastetreatmenthierarchy.
Mitigation: To address the possibility that wastes would continue to be exported despite capacity
coming onstream in Ireland, a strong commitment to selfsufficiency and the proximity principle
wouldneedtobefactoredintothestrategicapproach.
7.4.3 InclusionofMandatoryTargetsOnlyorInclusionofAdditionalNonmandatory
Targets
During the lifetime of the plan the deadline for achieving several mandatory targets will apply to
Ireland.Thepoliciesandactionswithintheplanhavebeendevelopedtocontributeandsupportthe
achievement of these targets. Consideration was also given to including three additional non
mandatoryperformancetargetstoprovideimpetustotheplan.Theperformancetargetsrelateto
1)prevention;2)preparingforreuseandrecycling;and3)directdisposaltolandfill.
There is currently no formal waste prevention target in the EU or Ireland. However there is a
nationalwastepreventionprogrammeandanumberofprogressivenationalinitiativesbeingfunded
and implemented under the programme which are achieving positive environmental and financial
results. The plan proposes a nonmandatory target to reduce household waste by 1% per capita
eachyear.Theintroductionofapreventiontargetwouldbringanewfocuslocalauthorities(and
other stakeholders such as the EPA) to bring about the required behavioural change from
householders to reduce the quantity of waste being generated. The target would provide an
indicatortoassesstheeffectivenessofpreventionprogrammesatthehouseholdlevel.
TheWasteFrameworkDirectiveincludesatargetforpreparationforreuseandrecyclingof50%of
wastematerialssuchaspaper,metal,plastic,andglassfromhouseholdsandpossibleotherorigins
toaminimumof50%byweightby2020.Theinclusionofanonmandatorytargetforthepreparing
for reuse and recycling of 50% of municipal waste, which is primarily made up of waste from
households and business, is more ambitions than the European target as it includes for other
recyclablestreamssuchasbiowaste.Thiswillhelptoprogressthecurrentrateofrecyclingthrough
morewidespreadpenetrationofthesegregatedkerbsidecollectionschemetoa3binsystem.There
ispotentialtocapturesignificantlymorefoodwastethroughtheseparatedcollectionsystemwhich
willpushrecyclingratesupwards.Itmayalsoencouragethepreparationforreuseandrecyclingof
recyclablesthatmaynotcurrentlybeextractedasarecyclingstream.Thiswillallowlocalauthorities
tobenchmarkmaterialsandestablishwhichmaterialsneedgreaterattentionintermsofrecycling.
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There is policy ambition in Europe to eliminate direct disposal of unprocessed residual municipal
waste to landfill13. The RWMP has addressed the spirit of this ambition in as far as possible by
moving toward the elimination of direct disposal of unprocessed residual waste to landfill and by
encouraging and supporting opportunities for materials to stay in circulation longer though a
combination of recycling and recovery. The elimination of direct disposal of unprocessed residual
municipalwastetolandfillisbeingincludedasatargetintheRWMPtopushresidualwastetowards
higher forms of treatment so greater value, in terms of the capture of energy and material
resources, can be extracted from the waste. This activity is also likely to be carried out in Ireland
whichwillbringgreaterbenefitsonalocalandnationalbasis.
TheEuropeanCommissionhasalsorecentlypublishedanumberofplansandproposalsinTowardsa
CircularEconomy:AZeroWasteProgrammeforEurope(2014).Thisincludesaproposaltoincrease
the preparing for reuse and recycling rate to 60 70% by 2030, the reuse and recycling rate of
packaging waste to 80% by 2030and a ban on the landfill of recyclables such as biodegradable
material,glass,metals,paperandplasticby2025withaviewtoneareliminationoflandfillby2030.
ItisconsideredthatthenonmandatorytargetswillcomplementtheproposedEuropeantargetsand
plansandwillputIrelandonthepathtoachievinghigherrecoveryratesifthesecomeintoforce.
SignificantImpacts:
BFF
PHH
S
W
AQ
CF
MA
CH
L
Soc
Mandatory
targetsonly
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+/
AdditionalNon
mandatory
targets
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
alternativeisadditionalnonmandatorytargets.
Inoveralltermsmandatoryandnonmandatorytargetswillbringpositiveenvironmental,economic
andsocialbenefits.
The inclusion of the nonmandatory targets will help to stimulate prevention reuse and recycling
activities at the household and municipal levels which will in turn lead to job creation and
employment.Employmentinthereuseareaoftenhasacommunityandsocialaspect,creatingin
many instances employment for longterm unemployed and vulnerable members of society. The
extension of product life through reuse and the use of recyclate in products coinciding with
increaseddiversionofmaterialsfromdisposalrouteshasbenefitsonrawmaterials,airemissions,
water, and energy which have indirect positive effects on biodiversity, flora and fauna, human
health,soilsandclimate.
The additional nonmandatory targets alternative will build on the mandatory targets alternative
outlined above. Prevention and reuse which sit higher on the waste hierarchy and will bring net
positiveeffectsbyreducingwastegeneration.Greaterrecyclingandpreparingforreusetargetswill
13
RoadmaptoaResourceEfficientEurope.EC,2011
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extendproductlife,expandthecollectionanduseofrecyclateandcreatepotentialopportunitiesfor
processingandreprocessingofnewtypesofrecyclablesextractedfromthewastestream.Higher
order treatment and pretreatment of waste over direct disposal to landfill will lead to better
management cycles for wastes. The nonmandatory targets will have direct benefits on raw
materials,airemissions,water,andenergywhichhaveindirectpositiveeffectsonBFF,HH,SandCF.
Theywillalsohavepositivedirectimpactsontheeconomy,employmentandsocietybutmayalso
haveindirectimpactsatconstructionand/oroperationalstages.
Thus use of either alternative will lead to a net decrease in waste generation and consequently
indirect positive impacts for AQ and CF in particular through reduced emissions of GHG and air
pollutantsfromthetransport,treatmentanddisposalofwastematerial.Indirectpositiveimpacts
for soils, water, BFF and PHH would also be anticipated. In this regard both options represent a
positiveimpact.
7.5
STRATEGICOBJECTIVESANDPOLICYALTERNATIVES
Followingonfromconsiderationofthestrategicalternatives,thePlanandSEAteamhasconsidered
the alternatives to the strategic objectives and policies set out in the draft RWMP. The strategic
areasassetoutinthedraftRWMPare:

Policyandlegislation;
Prevention;
ResourceefficiencyandCircularEconomy;
Coordination;
Infrastructure;
EnforcementandRegulation;
Protection;and
Otherwastestreams.
At the policy level, the alternatives allow for consideration of more detailed issues and how they
mightinfluencethesubsequentpolicyactionsofthedraftRWMP.Thefollowingsectionshighlight
themainalternativesconsideredatthispolicylevelandanysignificantenvironmentalimplications.
7.5.1 PolicyandLegislation
Alternative
Policyand
Legislation
Alt_1
DescriptionofScenario
Discussion
ItisnotconsideredthatanalternativeexistsunderPolicy
andLegislation.IfIrelandfailstomeetmandatorytargets
laiddowninEUwastepolicyitispossiblethatfineswillbe
Compliance with policy and
imposed on Ireland. This could have significant negative
legislativerequirements
impacts for material assets if much needed funding in
waste and other environmentally related sectors is
divertedtooffsetthesefines.
Preferred Alternative: The preferred alternative in this instance is compliance with policy and
legislativerequirementsPolicyandLegislationAlt_1.
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ReasonforChoosingthePreferredAlternative:Itisconsideredthatnoreasonablealternativeexists
intermsofcompliancewithexistinglegislationandpolicy.
7.5.2 Prevention
Alternative
Discussion
Policies that achieve improved prevention and
minimisation of waste will result in less waste to be
transported,treatedordisposed,withconsequentpositive
impacts on the environment generally. Priority is being
giventothetopofthehierarchywhichhasthepotentialto
deliver the highest environmental outcomes. Less
resource consumption if materials can be reused would
have indirect positive impacts on climate change as less
energy will be required and lower CO2 outputs would
resultfromsuchchanges.Similarlylesswastewouldresult
in reduced transport needs and consequently lower
emissionsofpollutantstoair.
Prevention
Alt_1
Fundingofpreventionactivities
bylocalauthoritiesandtheEPA
continues and the allocation of
prevention funds are itemised
each year (as per policy action
B.1.3)
Thesuccessofpreventionmeasuresisdrivenbypolicyin
the first instance but experience has shown that a
coordinated complementary bottom up approach
focussing on changing behaviours at the individual /
business level can have far reaching effects. This is
dependent however on dedicated local authority
resources (staff and funding) being channelled into
changingattitudesandbehavioursfromthegroundup.
Itisdifficulttoquantifythecollectiveimpactthatexisting
prevention programmes/actions are having on the
generationofwasteparticularlyinrecessionarytimesbut
it is likely that they are significantly contributing to
behavioural changes at the individual, community and
business level. This is confirmed in the NWPP Annual
Report 2012 which reports that prevention has been
showntoreducecostsandimprovecompetitivenesswhile
encouraginginnovationandtheadoptionofcleaner
processesandproducts.
Prevention
Alt_2
The alternative scenario is that prevention programmes
and initiatives continue to be cut and the momentum
which they have built up, including the changes in
behaviour, resource efficiency and resulting savings are
eroded.Thelastingimpactasaconsequenceisthatwaste
preventionfailstoimpactsignificantlyortoanydegreeon
waste generation quantities over the Plan period and
Funding
of
prevention thereisafailuretodecouplewastearisingsandeconomic
initiatives continues to be growth.
reducedbylocalauthoritiesand
Thecontinuedreductionofstatefundingtotheprevention
government.
programmeandtotheroleofpreventionatthelocallevel
will dilute the ability to bring about the behavioural
changerequiredtorealiselastingsavings.
The potential impact of prevention related activities is
likely to decline and with it the environmental benefits
associatedwithprevention.Withlessmoneybeingmade
available for prevention a decline in waste arisings, from
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Alternative
Discussion
preventionmeasures,wouldnotbeexpected.
This will have negative impacts for the environment
generally as more resources are required to manufacture
goods with associated emissions to air, water and soils,
transport is required to bring wastes for disposal or
treatment with corresponding impacts to air; and more
treatmentanddisposalcapacityisrequired(indigenousor
throughexport)resultinginpotentialnegativeimpactsto
biodiversity, water, landscape, cultural heritage etc. as a
resultofadditionalinfrastructurecapacity.
Preferred Alternative: The preferred alternative in this instance is that funding of prevention
activitiesbylocalauthoritiescontinuesandtheallocationofpreventionfundsareitemisedeachyear
PreventionAlt_1.
Reason for Choosing the Preferred Alternative: As priority is being given to the top tiers of the
wastehierarchyinthedraftRWMP,thereishighpotentialtodecreasewastegeneration,subjectto
successfulimplementationwhichwouldhavepositiveimpactsforallenvironmentalreceptors.
7.5.3 ResourceEfficiency&CircularEconomy
Alternative
Prepfor
ReuseAlt_1
Discussion
PreparingforReuse isanewdefinitionintroducedbythe
Waste Framework Directive. It embraces the idea of a
circular economy and promotes indigenous, community
andsocialenterprise.However,itcurrentlyisnotreflected
appropriately in the local authority authorisation system.
Manysuchventuresmaybeoperating(fromapositionof
inexperience) without authorisation or may be unclear
over the legislative framework governing such activities.
TheconceptofPreparingforReuseisapositiveonewith
positive impacts for the environment, particularly in
relation to reduced resource consumption and waste
prevention.Thesetwoaspectsalonecanhavesignificant
positive effects for the environment generally with less
natural resource usage and less potential for pollution to
air, water and soils. However there is a need for
appropriateregulation.
Enterprises whose activities sit
onthePreparingforReusetier
are authorised by local
authorities in a manner
reflecting the nature of their
activity.
However, the manner in which these initiatives operate
has the potential for negative impacts. Two potential
avenuesforthesourcematerialsare(i)providedthrough
civicamenitysiteswherethematerialhasbeendiscarded
butthepotentialforreuseisrecognisedandthematerials
areputaside;and(ii)individualsandbusinessesproviding
thematerialasawaste.Forpartsthatcanbefullyreused
there are positive impacts as discussed above but there
arealsopotentiallegalandliabilityissueswhichmayneed
tobeaddressede.g.repairofelectricalequipment.There
is therefore potential for negative impacts in terms of
human health and safety if a regulatory structure is not
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putinplace.
In addition, parts / materials not required for reuse e.g.
partsfromseveralbicyclesusedtofitoutanotherbicycles,
mayultimatelybecomeorreturntowasteandneedtobe
discarded appropriately. Inappropriate disposal has the
samepotentialfornegativeimpactsasanyillegaldumping
of waste material with risk to soils, surface water and
groundwaterinparticular.
As a minimum, registration of these activities and a code
of practice is required to ensure that clarity is given with
regard to the legislation in this area and operators are
given the tools necessary to operate in a safe and
sustainablemanner.
Prepfor
Reuse
Alt_2
The most obvious alternative here is that these facilities
are required to apply and comply fully with a waste
authorisation(certificateofregistration/wastepermit)and
its conditions issued under the current regulations.
Regulationoftheactivitieswouldfacilitatetightercontrols
andmonitoringofthelifecycleofthematerialswithinthat
system with potential positive impacts for air, water, soil
Preparing for Reuse facilities andpossiblyhumanhealthasaresult.
are required to apply and However, it is likely that such a permitting system would
comply
with
a
waste have consequences for certain enterprises which may be
authorisation
and
its forcedtoceaseoperatingandthisoutcomecouldleadto
conditions.
businesses which are active on this treatment tier no
longer being able to operate viably. These wastes may
ultimatelyreceivelowertiertreatmentasaconsequence.
The consequences of this would be negative for the
environmentasmoreresourcesarerequired,morewaste
isgeneratedandmoretreatmentanddisposalcapacityis
required leading to potential negative impacts to the
environmentgenerally.
PreferredAlternative:Thepreferredalternativeinthisinstanceisthatenterpriseswhoseactivities
sit on the Preparing for Reuse tier are authorised by local authorities in a manner reflecting the
natureoftheiractivityPrepforReuseAlt_1.
ReasonforChoosing the Preferred Alternative:Whileregulationoftheseactivitieswould provide
positive impacts for the receiving environment, it is recognised that many of these cottagestyle
industriesthathavedevelopedinthisspheremaybeforcedtoceaseoperatingordissuadedfrom
setting up in the first place under the current regulatory system. The positive impacts associated
withactivitieswhicharemoreresourceefficientwouldbelostandmaterialswouldbereturnedto
the waste system for lower tier treatment. However, the liabilities to human health and the
environmentcannotbeoverlookedandassuchitisrecommendedthatAlt_1beamendedtoensure
that a Code of Practice be prepared, the details of which are outlined under the below, required
mitigationsection.
RequiredMitigation:ACodeofPracticeshallbepreparedforthePreparationforReusesectorand
this will be rolled out alongside an education and awareness campaign at the local level to assist
operatorsindeliveringapositivesustainableserviceoverall.Registrationofactivitiesshouldalsobe
considered.
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7.5.4 Coordination
Coordination
The Regional Waste Office leads the
coordination of activities by local
authoritiesintheregiontoimplement
thepolicyactionsinthePlan.
Alt_1
Discussion
Coordination
Alt_2
Thisapproachisconsideredgenerallypositive.The
lead authority in each region will coordinate
specific activities on a regional level including;
and
awareness/prevention,
regulation
infrastructure management. The benefits of this
approach are better use of resources and more
effectivedeliveryofanoverallstrategy.
Thisapproachassumesthatthereisnotfullbuyin
from all regional local authorities and that one or
more
may decide to opt out of the regional
One or more Local authorities in the
implementationapproach.Itisanticipatedthatthis
region continue to work unilaterally
implementing local level activities would give rise to negative impacts as an
uncoordinatedapproachislikelytopoorreturnon
withoutaregionalfocus.
investment of resources which would be better
directed at prevention. The cumulative benefits
(for the environment) from a regional approach
wouldnotmaterialiseormaybediluted.
Preferred Alternative: The preferred alternative in this instance is leadership from the regional
wasteofficeCoordinationAlt_1.
Reason for Choosing the Preferred Alternative: A coordinated approach to waste management is
essential to ensure a consistent message on the benefits of prevention as the pinnacle of the
hierarchyandalsotoensureeffectiveregulationandenforcementofwastemanagementactivities.
Acoordinatedapproachalsoprovidestheopportunitytocoordinatetheuseofscarcefundinginthe
mosteffectiveandtargetedmannerresultinginagreaterreturnonthisimportantinvestment.
7.5.5 Infrastructure(Collection)
Alternative
Discussion
Collection and recycling systems are well established in
Ireland and the expectation is that these will continue to
developslowlyoverthePlanperiod.Thecontinuedrollout
of the brown bin collection scheme to households and
businesses will be a positive in terms of diverting waste
from landfill and increasing the rate of composting. This
Continued development of
will have knockon positive impacts on the environment,
Collectionand collectionandrecyclingsystems particularly in relation to reducing emissions to air, soil,
including continued rollout of
Recycling
surfaceandgroundwaters.
the brown bin collection
Alt_1
scheme to households and Therolloutofthebrownbinforfoodwasteisonepartof
the step to moving waste into a more sustainable tier of
businesses.
the hierarchy. The prevention and capture of organic
material needs to be improved. The complementary
action is informing users of the benefits of this action to
them (charging for the brown bin should always be
cheaper) and the environment. The failure to deliver
awarenesscampaignstosupporttherolloutofbrownbins
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Alternative
Discussion
andincreasethecaptureofmaterialwillleadtolesswaste
beingpickedupinthebinsandbeingrecycled.
Thecollectionofqualitydryrecyclableswasteforrecycling
has suffered in recent years with contamination rates
increasing. However, this is to be addressed in the
forthcoming Household Waste Management Regulations.
This is likely to result in increased rates of recycling over
thePlanperiod.The2012datashowsthatrecyclingisat
40%formunicipalwaste.Withtheimplementationofthis
alternative,theaimwouldbetoreachabout50%recycling
ofmunicipalwaste.
The alternative is that collection systems are not
developedappropriatelye.g.therolloutofthebrownbin
is not achieved. The consequence of this is that
recycling/recoveryrateswillnotbeimprovedtothefullest
extent. This simply means that Ireland is failing to treat
waste in the more environmentally preferred tiers of
Collection
system
not
recyclingandrecoveryandasaresultacertainamountof
Collectionand
developed
to
the
level
tonnage
is being treated at a lower waste tier (disposal).
Recycling
anticipated, e.g. the rollout of As the environmental benefits of recycling and recovery,
Alt_2
thebrownbinisnotachieved.
from a life cycle perspective is significantly greater than
thoseoflessertiersthiswouldbeapooroutcomeforthe
environmentgenerally.
Thecollectionofqualitydryrecyclableswasteforrecycling
islikelytocontinuetosufferalthoughitistobeaddressed
in the forthcoming Household Waste Management
Regulations.
PreferredAlternative:ThepreferredalternativeinthisinstanceisCollectionandRecyclingAlt_1.
ReasonforChoosingthePreferredAlternative:Alt_1wouldseethegreatestpotentialforincreasing
boththequantityandqualityofrecyclablematerialsanddivertingmaterialfromtheresidualbinand
lowerwastetierssuchasdisposal.Itisacknowledgedthatthisalternativemayrequireprovisionof
additional recovery/recycling processing facilities which could have negative impacts on the
environmentifsitedinappropriatelyandassuchguidanceonappropriatesitingisrequired.
Required Mitigation: An awareness campaign to support the rollout of brown bins is required.
Ongoingreviewofthefeasibilityforindigenouspaper,glassandmetalrecyclingcapacityisrequired
aspartoftheoverallstrategyforselfsufficiencytodetermineifvolumesofwastecouldreasonably
supportsmallerregionalfacilitiesratherthansendingthemforexport.
7.5.6 Infrastructure(ThermalRecovery)
AnumberofsubmissionsontheSEAscopingdocumentnotedthatthefocusofalternativesunder
theOtherRecoveryheadingweretoofocussedonWtEanddidnotgiveenoughrecognitiontoother
formsofrecovery.ItisclarifiedherethatthereferencetoWtEwasintendedasanexampleofthe
tier of the hierarchy that was to be promoted rather than a stipulation on a technology. It is
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acknowledged that thermal recovery can cover incineration (waste to energy), coincineration
(cementkilns),pyrolysis,gasificationandotherstechnologies.Neither thePlannorSEAstipulates
specifictechnologiestobeusedbutratherfocussesonthetierofthehierarchytobeachieved.In
recognition of the comments received, new alternatives have been considered by the SEA which
looksatprovisionofadditionalcapacitywithreferencetothewastehierarchy.
Discussion
Currently there is an existing authorised active recovery
capacityofapproximately220,000tonnesfromonewaste
to energy facility and a further 215,000 tonnes of active
capacity from two cement kilns, with a third cement kiln
runningpilotin2014.Thetotalactiveauthorisedcapacity
nationally is therefore 435,000 tonnes. There are other
thermal recovery facilities which are authorised (have
planningandalicense)intheEasternMidlandsRegionbut
this capacity (amounting to over 727,000 tonnes) has yet
to come on stream. In the absence of adequate thermal
recovery capacity, Ireland is exporting residual municipal
typewastetorecoveryfacilitiesoverseasfortreatment.In
2013over300,000tonnesofresidualmunicipalwastewas
exportedaccountingforapproximately20%oftheresidual
wastemarketinIreland.Negativeimpactsrelatedtothe
export of material for recovery elsewhere relates
principallytotransportrelatedemissionstoairandwater
from road and shipping freight to recovery facilities
elsewhere in Europe and also loss of potential for energy
recoveryinIreland.
Other
Recovery
Alt_1
Existingactiverecoverycapacity
in Ireland remains active but
other pending capacity does
notcomeonstreamduringthe
period and no other new
capacityisdeveloped.
Of the 300,000 tonnes of residual waste exported out of
Ireland for recovery, it can be estimated that 189,000
MWh was lost from the state (based on the net usable
energycalculatedfortheoneoperationalwastetoenergy
facility in 2013). This is energy that could have been
harnessed in Ireland to offset circa 38,745 tonnes GHG
emissions from energy production within the state from
conventionalnaturalgascombustion.
It is likely that with this alternative, exports will increase
over the plan period and the move away from landfill
wouldbedelayed.
Withthisalternative,aswithAlt_2,itisnotedthatcertain
recoveryprocessescangiverisetobyproductsuchasfly
ashandbottomash(fromWastetoEnergy).Inthecaseof
fly ash, this is considered hazardous material and is
exportedfordisposalinappropriatefacilities.Theexport
of flyash for disposal has the potential to impact
negatively on AQ and CF as a result of transport related
emissions.Thedisposalofthismaterialalsohaspotential
fornegativeenvironmentalimpacts,particularlyinrelation
toAQ,water,soils,BFFandPHH.Itisacknowledgedthat
risksrelatedtotheseimpactswouldcurrentlybeborneby
thecountryacceptingthiswasteasIrelanddoesnothave
facilities to deal with this material. It is noted that such
facilities would be subject to licensing and permitting
regimes in the host country therefore significant impacts
arenotanticipated.
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Bottom ash is not considered hazardous and can be
landfilled in nonhazardous landfills in Ireland, a practice
whichisongoing.Inadditionbottomashmaybereusedin
theproductionofconstructionblocksasisthepracticein
theNetherlands.Thisreuseofmaterialswouldgiveriseto
positiveenvironmentalimpacts.
As with Alt_1, the existing authorised active recovery
capacity in Ireland would remain active and the other
authorised pending capacity would come on stream
increasing the total capacity available to the region and
nationallytoover1.1milliontonnes.Othercapacitymay
alsobeatapreplanningstage.
Other
Recovery
Alt_2
Existingactiverecoverycapacity
remains active and other
pending capacity comes on
stream during the period as a
minimum.
In this alternative, the reliance on export of residual
wastes outside Ireland would be expected to reduce as
morecapacityisdevelopedinIreland.Anyfacilitylocated
within Ireland will have the potential for land take but
nationally or regionally this is unlikely to be significant.
There is also potential for emissions locally when
compared to waste exported. However, these impacts
shouldnotbesignificantastheywillbecontrolledbythe
appropriate licensing system e.g. IED, IPC, waste. Any
emissions from new infrastructure would be within
licensed emission levels that are based on standards
intended to protect human health and the environment.
The emissions can relate to air emissions, particulates,
VolatileOrganicCompounds(VOCs),dioxins,odour,noise,
trafficandwaterquality(surfaceorgroundwater).Reduced
international transport would lead to lower transport
related emissions from road and shipping in particular
howeveritisnotedthatmoredomestictransportmaybe
required given the spatial distribution of the active and
pending capacity in the region and the country overall.
TransportisamajorsourceofpollutantssuchasNOxand
PM10.HeavyGoodsVehicles(HGVs)contributetoambient
NOx concentrations through exhaust emissions and to
PM10 concentrations through both exhaust emissions,
regularwearandtear(ofbrakeandtyrematter)andfrom
the resuspension of dust on roads. Transport is also a
major contributor to GHG emissions and accounts for up
to 18.8% of Irelands GHG emissions in 2012compared to
only2%forwaste14.
Anyfacilitywiththepotentialforenergyrecoverywillhave
environmentalbenefitsbyoffsettingtheuseofotherfossil
fuels,whichmayinsomecasesberegardedasrenewable
energy.Forexample,energyrecoveredfromcombustion
of 1 tonne of MSW can generate 0.63MWh into the grid
(based on 2013 data from a waste to energy facility in
Ireland)whichwouldoffset0.13tonnesofGHGproduced
by combusting natural gas or 0.21 tonnes of GHG
produced by combusting coal for electricity production
(basedonSEAIemissionfactors).
Reduced international transport would result in positive
14
EPA2013,Ireland’sGreenhouseGasEmissionsin2012
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impacts for air quality, and climate in particular. Further
positive impacts would be anticipated in relation to
biodiversity, flora and fauna and water quality due to
reducedshippinginparticularastherewouldbeadecline
intheriskofpollution,spillageetc.
Asnotedabove,certainrecoveryprocessescangiveriseto
byproductssuchasflyashandbottomash(fromWasteto
Energy).Inthecaseofflyash,thisisconsideredhazardous
material and is exported for disposal in appropriate
facilities. The export of flyash for disposal has the
potentialtoimpactnegativelyonAQandCFasaresultof
transportrelatedemissions.Thedisposalofthismaterial
also has potential for negative environmental impacts,
particularlyinrelationtoAQ,water,soils,BFFandPHH.It
isacknowledgedthatrisksrelatedtotheseimpactswould
currentlybebornebythecountryacceptingthiswasteas
Ireland does not have facilities to deal with this material.
Itisnotedthatsuchfacilitieswouldbesubjecttolicensing
and permitting regimes in the host country therefore
significantimpactsarenotanticipated.
Bottom ash is not considered hazardous and can be
landfilled in nonhazardous landfills in Ireland, a practice
whichisongoing.Inadditionbottomashmaybereusedin
theproductionofconstructionblocksasisthepracticein
theNetherlands.Thisreuseofmaterialswouldgiveriseto
positiveenvironmentalimpacts.
Preferred Alternative: The preferred alternative in this instance is the provision of additional
recoverycapacityforresidualwastetreatmentAlt_2.
ReasonforChoosingthePreferredAlternative:Alt_2providesthebestopportunitytoderivevalue
fromresidualwasteproducedinIreland.Therecoveryofenergyisacriticallyimportantpartofthese
facilities and offers the potential to offset use of fossil fuels domestically in Ireland with positive
impactsformaterialassets,airqualityandclimate.
7.5.7 Infrastructure(Backfilling)
OtherWaste
Streams
Alt_1
Discussion
Utilisationin2012atbackfillingsiteswaslow.This
underutilisation reflects the low levels of activities
in the construction sector with the supply of
capacity far exceeding current demand. This is
expected to improve over the Plan period as
Coordinated centralised facilities with economicrecoverycontinuestobuildnationally.In
alongerlifespan
thefaceofincreasedauthorisationdemandthereis
a need for better coordination between local
authorities in the region to ensure backfilling
facilities are planned and developed at suitable
siteswhichdonotposearisktohumanhealthand
the environment. A significant consideration of
siting is the potential for habitat loss and species
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OtherWaste
Streams
Alt_2
disturbance, transfer of invasive alien species and
deteriorationofwaterqualityandairqualitylocally.
Many of these impacts can be addressed through
appropriatesiting.
More centralised larger sites offer potential
positivesinrelationtobetteruseoflandandmore
management from a regulatory perspective,
however, as noted above this would be subject to
appropriate siting to reduce impacts of traffic,
noise,dustlandtakeetc.onsensitivereceptors.
Aproliferationofsmallersiteswasafeatureofthe
economy of the last decade. Many of these sites
posed risk to environmental receptors such as
water quality and air quality through drainage
Uncoordinatedproliferationofsmaller pathwaysandemissionssuchasdust.Biodiversity
sites
inparticularisatriskfromhabitatloss,disturbance
and fragmentation. This alternative offers limited
controloftheproliferationofsitesgoingforward.
Preferred Alternative: The preferred alternative in this instance is the greater control on the
managementofstoneandsoils,OtherWasteStreamsAlt_1.
ReasonforChoosingthePreferredAlternative:Largermorecentralisedsiteswithalongerlifespan
will lead to better coordination of controls along with better enforcement which has positive
impacts in particular for land use, biodiversity, flora and fauna, water, landscape, air quality and
culturalheritage.Thishoweverisdependentonthedevelopmentandapplicationofsitingguidance.
Mitigation:Futureauthorisationsforbackfillingshouldensurepropersitingoffacilitiesinlinewith
appropriatesitingguidance.
7.5.8 Infrastructure(Disposal)
Disposal
In this alternative, Ireland continues to send
residual waste to landfill albeit in line with the
diversion target threshold. The final biodegradable
municipal waste (BMW) to landfill target will need
tobemetbyJuly2016.Therehasbeenasignificant
shiftawayfromlandfillnationallywiththenumber
of active facilities reducing. This has fallen to 1 in
Ireland continues to send residual
the Southern Region, 2 in the Eastern Midlands
wastetolandfillalbeitinlinewiththe
Regionand2inConnachtUlsterRegion.Inaddition
diversiontargetthresholdlimits
EU and National Policy focus is for the ultimate
elimination of landfill as a sustainable option for
managementofresidualwaste.Irelandisontrack
tomeetthe2016target.Post2016,Irelandwillbe
required to sustain compliance with the target for
anyfuturelandfilling.
Alt_1
Discussion
Continued disposal to landfill as envisioned by this
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alternative will result in ongoing risk to the
environment. Landfills give rise to methane and
othergaseswhichhavenegativeimpactsonclimate
andonairquality.Methanehasaglobalwarming
potential 21 times that of CO2. In order to control
emissions of the gas, regulated landfills have to
capture and manage the disposal of the gas at
considerable cost. In addition to methane, other
gases may also be generated as a result of the
chemicalmakeupofmaterialsdisposedofthrough
commercialandhouseholdwastestreams.
Landfills also create leachate. Potential pathways
for this pollution may exist through soils,
groundwater and / or surface water with the
potentially to indirectly impact on population,
humanhealthandbiodiversityfloraandfauna.
Disposal
Alt_2
Moving away from landfill will have direct positive
medium to long term impacts for soils,
groundwater surface water, population, human
healthandbiodiversityfloraandfaunaassitesare
closed. Site closure plans will be essential to
Move away from disposal of MSW to ensuring sustainable uses of the sites once closed
landfill
and to ensure ongoing monitoring is undertaken
untilsuchtimeasemissionstoair,soilsandwater
arestabilised.
It is noted that the Plan may not be able to fully
deliver this alternative as the licensing authority is
theEPAandnotallofthesitesareoperatedbythe
localauthorities.
PreferredAlternative:Thepreferredalternativeinthisinstanceistoeliminatelandfillscompletely
DisposalAlt_2.
Reason for Choosing the Preferred Alternative: The elimination of landfill, although possibly
unachievableintheshortterm,shouldnonethelessbetheobjectiveofthePlansinordertodeliver
a sustainable long term solution to waste management. The negative environmental impacts
associated with landfilling are now widely recognised as being unacceptable and legislation and
policy is driving a shift from disposal to higher tier alternatives. These higher order solutions are
partofasolutionwhichrecognisesthegreaterenvironmentalbenefitsfromreusing,recyclingand
recoveringwastes.
7.5.9 RegulationandEnforcement
Discussion
Impactsincludebetteruseofresources,knowledge
sharing; coordinated implementation; consistency
The establishment of a regional office
of approaches and communications; ability to
for
the
coordination
and
tackle higher profile/more serious enforcement
implementation of enforcement
cases which may be occurring in several local
activities
authority areas (e.g. fuel laundering), but requires
buyin.
Regulation
and
Enforcement
Alt_1
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Regulation
and
Enforcement
Alt_2
Impactsincludeconcentrationoflocallevelactivity,
Enforcement activities are delivered
potentialforlimitedpenetrationofactivitiesdueto
primarily
by
individual
local
resourceconstraints,fundingissuesanddifficultto
authoritiesintheregion
tacklelargercases.
Preferred Alternative: The preferred alternative in this instance is leadership from the regional
wasteofficeRegulationandEnforcementAlt_1.
Reason for Choosing the Preferred Alternative: A coordinated approach to waste management is
essential to ensure better management of wastes in the region. A coordinated approach to
regulation and enforcement provides an opportunity to use resources and funding in the most
effectiveandtargetedmannerresultingingreaterimpactfromtheseactivities.
7.5.10 Protection
Discussion
Historic landfill sites pose a significant risk to the
environment particularly to soils and water as a
result of leachates generated from buried wastes
(particularly hazardous waste) which can migrate
through soils and rock to reach surface and
groundwater. This could result in direct negative
impacts to water quality, soils quality and indirect
impacts to biodiversity and human health.
Similarly,emissionstoairmayalsobepresentfrom
decomposing wastes, and also through the
potential migration of fugitive gas emissions,
resulting in significant risk to air quality and
indirectlyriskstohumanhealthandbiodiversity.
Protection
Alt_1
The coordinated and prioritised remediation of
thesesitesislikelytoresultinpositiveimpactsfor
All high risk landfill (Class A) sites
(1977 – 1996) and pre1977 (Class A) air quality, water, climate, biodiversity and human
health in particular. MA and landscape are also
sitesareremediated
anticipatedtobepositivelyimpacted.
Negative impacts may however arise from
remediation through disturbance of the material
which has the potential to impact negatively on
biodiversityinparticular.Themovementofburied
waste may result in mobilisation of invasive alien
species (IAS) through buried spores or seeds. IAS
has significant potential to impact on biodiversity
andcurrentlycosttheEUintheorderof12million
europerannum.
This alternative will ensure that impacts from
buried waste on environmental receptors can be
mitigatedandcontrolled.
Protection
Alt_2
The ongoing legacy of these sites will continue to
Remediation of all identified high risk have short, medium and long term negative
landfill (Class A) sites (1977 – 1996) impacts for groundwater, surface water, soils, air
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and pre1977 (Class A) sites is not quality,biodiversityandhumanhealth.
prioritisedinthePlan
PreferredAlternative:Thepreferredalternativeinthisinstanceisremediationofallidentifiedhigh
risksitesAlt_1.
Reason for Choosing the Preferred Alternative: There is significant risk posed by these historic
landfillsitestobothhumanhealthandtheenvironment.Theprioritisationofremediationisvitalto
ensurerisktotheenvironmentcanbeappropriatelydealtwith.
Mitigation:TomitigatethepotentialspreadofIAS,aqualifiedecologistshouldundertakesurveyfor
IASbeforewasteisdisturbed.AmanagementplantoensureIASarenotspreadfromthesitewillbe
developed if such species are identified. To mitigate the potential to impact on the Natura 2000
network,AAscreeningshallbecarriedoutbeforeremediationisundertaken.
7.5.11 OtherWasteStreams
Alternative
Discussion
Themainsourcesofagriculturalsludgee.g.manure
etc. have potential to negatively impact on the
environmentthroughtheprocessoflandspreading
andapplication.Inparticularthereispotentialfor
negative impacts to water quality where this
organic matter is lost to water bodies, causing
deterioration in water quality and also negatively
impacting on water associated flora and fauna.
Therearealsopublichealthconcernsinrelationto
the spreading of agricultural wastes due to the
potential for spread of pathogens and other
microbialmatter.
OtherWaste
Streams
Alt_1
Domestic and sewage sludge are within the scope
The coordinated management of oftheplanalthoughitisrecognisedthatIrishWater
sludges (domestic, sewage and will have the primary role in management of
sludgesfromtheMWWTandMWTfacilitiesunder
agricultural)isaddressedinthePlan
itsremit.Itislikelythatsomedomesticsludgeswill
require treatment / disposal within the waste
management framework and it is important to
ensurethatthereiscapacityinthesystemtoallow
the most beneficial management options to be
available in sufficient capacity to deal with these
wastese.g.biologicaltreatmentssuchasAnaerobic
Digestion.
Coordinating with IW, local authority water
departments and other responsible bodies in
relation the management of has the potential to
bring environmental benefits. By addressing the
issueofsludgewithinthePlan,sludgemanagement
islikelytoimproveintheregionasmoresludgewill
be brought into the appropriate management
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Alternative
Discussion
systems.
Previous waste Management Plans generally set
outdetailsofthequantitiesofsewagesludge,agri
sludge and industrial sludge arising in each region
andwiththeobjectivetoimplementthepolicesset
outinrelevantSludgeManagementPlan(SMP).In
reality, not every region had developed a SMP
makingthisapproachlessthaneffective.
OtherWaste
Streams
Alt_2
WhiletheestablishmentofIrishWateranditsremit
to manage sludge from the municipal water and
waste water treatment processes will see the
development of national plans for sludge
Abusinessasusualscenarioinrelation management of both wastewater (under
to management of sludges (domestic, preparation)andwater(duein2015)theapproach
sewage and agricultural) isconsidered still isolates waste management from sludge
inthePlan
management.
It may result in an uncoordinated approach to the
management of sludges and may result in
insufficient capacity in the waste management
system to deal with specific sludge types. This
increases the risk to human health and the
environment, particularly where land spreading
may be used as an alternative. A coordinated
approach which includes liaison with Irish Water
will allow for higher tier options within biological
treatmenttobeexploredwhichwouldhaveoverall
positiveimpactsfortheenvironment.
PreferredAlternative:Thepreferredalternativeinthisinstanceisthecoordinatedmanagementof
sludgesAlt_1.
Reason for Choosing the Preferred Alternative: A coordinated approach which sees the lead
authorities work with Irish Water and the Agricultural Sector to deliver sustainable management
solutionswillhaveoverallpositiveimpactsontheenvironment.
Mitigation:Anyproposedfacilitiesforthetreatmentofsludgesshouldadheretoappropriatesiting
guidance.
7.6
OVERALLPREFERREDSCENARIO
Thepreferredscenarioistoputintoplacecoherentpolicyobjectivesandactionswhichalignwith
EuropeanandnationalpolicyandsupportIreland’smovetoaneconomydefinedbyhigherresource
efficiencyandproductivity.Thisproposedstrategyisfocusedonrecognisingtheimportantrolethe
waste sector has to play in helping Ireland’s households, businesses and industry in the transition
towardsamoreresourceefficientandcirculareconomy.
ThestrategicvisionfortheRWMPcanbesummarisedas:
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Torethinktheapproachtomanagingwastes,byviewingwaste
streamsasvaluablematerialresourceswhichcanleadtoa
healthierenvironmentandsustainablecommercial
opportunitiesforoureconomy.
Underpinningthisoverarchingstrategicvisionisasetofprincipleswhichwillguidethedeliveryofa
sustainableRWMP.Theseprinciplesinclude:

Applicationofthewastemanagementhierarchy
Sourcesegregation
Polluterpaysprinciple
Balancedandsustainableinfrastructure
Selfsufficiencyandproximity
Opportunityandgrowth
Cooperation
EnvironmentalProtection
7.7
DEVELOPMENTOFSTRATEGICOBJECTIVES
From the outset of development of the Southern RWMP, the SEA team and the AA team have
workedinparalleltoprovideadviceandguidancetotheRWMPteamontexttoincludewithinthe
Plan. The team recognised that early consideration of environmental issues in developing the
RWMPcreatedanopportunityforenvironmentalfactorstobeconsideredexplicitlyalongsideother
factorssuchassocial,technicaloreconomicaspects.
Keyto this processwastheSEAand AAteam’sinvolvementinthePlanteam’spreparationofthe
StrategicObjectivesofthePlan.ThroughparticipationinaworkshopthePlanteam,theSEA/AA
teamdiscusseddraftwordingfortheStrategicObjectives.
Significant changes brought about by the inputs of the SEA / AA team include reference to
environmental regulators under the Strategic Objective on Enforcement and Regulations (Section
5.3.6 of the RWMP) and the inclusion of “environmental” to the Strategic Objective on Policy and
Legislation.
In addition, the SEA / AA team sought inclusion of reference to protection of the Natura 2000
networkintheStrategicObjectiveonProtection,inordertoensurethattheimplementationofthe
SouthernRWMPhasregardto,inparticulartheconservationobjectivesofanyNatura2000site.
ThewordingofthefinalStrategicObjectivesis:

Policy & Legislation: The Region will implement EU and national waste and related
environmentalpolicy,legislation,guidance&codesofpracticetoimprovemanagementof
materialresourcesandwastes.
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Prevention: Prioritise waste prevention through behavioural change activities to decouple
economicgrowthandresourceuse.
ResourceEfficiency&theCircularEconomy:TheRegionwillencouragethetransitionfrom
a waste management economy to a green circular economy to enhance employment
opportunitiesandincreasethevalue,recoveryandrecirculationofresources.
Coordination:CoordinatetheactivitiesoftheRegionsandtoworkwithrelevantstakeholder
toensuretheeffectiveimplementationofobjectives.
InfrastructurePlanning:TheRegionwillpromotesustainablewastemanagementtreatment
inkeepingwiththewastehierarchyandthemovetowardsacirculareconomyandgreater
selfsufficiency.
Enforcement&Regulation:TheRegion,willImplementaconsistentandcoordinatedsystem
for the regulation and enforcement of waste activities in cooperation with other
environmentalregulatorsandenforcementbodies.
Protection:Applytherelevantenvironmentalandplanninglegislationtowasteactivitiesto
protectandreduceimpactsontheenvironmentinparticularNatura2000sitesandhuman
healthfromtheadverseimpactofwastegenerated.
Other Waste Streams: The Region will establish policy measures for other waste streams
notsubjecttoEUandnationalwastemanagementperformancetargets.
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8 ASSESSMENTOFPREFERREDSCENARIO
8.1
ASSESSMENTAPPROACH
ThepreferredstrategyidentifiedattheendofChapter7hasbeenprogressedandpoliciesandpolicy
actionshavebeendevelopedforthefollowingpolicyareas:
a) PolicyandLegislation
b) Prevention
c) ResourceEfficiencyandtheCircularEconomy
d) Coordination
e) InfrastructurePlanning
f)
EnforcementandRegulation
g) Protection
h) OtherWasteStreams
The approach used for assessing the policies and policy actions for the draft Southern RWMP was
objectivesledassessment.Eachpolicyanditsassociatedpolicyactionshavebeenassessedagainsta
set of strategic environmental assessment objectives (See Chapter 6 for details of the objectives).
The assessment compares the likely impacts in terms of the strategic environmental objectives to
seewhichpoliciesandpolicyactionsmeetthestrategicenvironmentalobjectivesandwhich,ifany,
contradictthem.
Forthepurposesofthisassessment:

Plus(+)indicatesapotentialpositiveenvironmentalimpact;
Minus()indicatesapotentialnegativeenvironmentalimpact;
Plus/minus(+/)indicatesthatbothpositiveandnegativeenvironmentalimpactsarelikely
orthatintheabsenceoffurtherdetailtheimpactisunclear;and
Zero(0)indicatesneutralornoimpact.
Undereachpolicyheadingadiscussionispresentedtosupporttheassessmentparametersshown.
Notallofthesepoliciesandpolicyactionsaresuitablefordetailedassessmentastheymayrelateto
administrationissuesoradditionalmonitoringetc.Inthesecasesaqualitativestatementhasbeen
madetodescribehowthepolicyoractionmightsupporttheoverallstrategyapproach.
8.2
ASSESSMENTPARAMETERS
Within the current scope of this SEA, temporary impacts have not been assessed. Temporary
impacts arising from the RWMP and proposals contained therein would be associated with the
construction phase, however, no specific location or design parameters are addressed at this
strategic level. It is therefore considered that the scope of the RWMP does not lend itself to an
assessmentofsuchimpactsbutsuchimpactswillbeaddressedattheEIAlevelinrelationtoproject
specificdetails.Permanenteffectsareaddressedintheassessmentwhichfollows.
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TheRWMPwillcovertheperiodfrom2015upto2021.InlinewiththeSEADirective,short,medium
andlongtermimpactsmustbeconsideredduringtheassessment.Assuch,assessmentshavebeen
madefor2015(asashorttermhorizon),2021(asamediumtermhorizon)andpost2021(asalong
term horizon). The longterm horizon would represent possible effects beyond the end of this
planning cycle for the RWMP. Short, medium and longterm impacts are addressed in the
assessmentwhichfollows.
Cumulative effects arise for instance where several developments may each have an insignificant
effectbuttogetherhaveasignificanteffectorwhereseveralindividualeffectsoftheRWMPhavea
combinedeffect.Synergisticeffectsinteracttoproduceatotaleffectgreaterthanthesumofthe
individual effects so that the nature of the final impact is different to the nature of the individual
impact.Cumulative/synergisticassessmentisaddressedintheassessmentwhichfollows.
The primary effect of the RWMP is to manage waste sustainably. Many of the policies and policy
actions under consideration will have direct impacts on material assets as a result. However, a
numberofthepoliciesandpolicyactionsalsohavethepotentialtodirectlyandindirectlyimpacton
otherenvironmentalreceptors.Thesesecondaryandindirecteffectshavebeentakenintoaccount
intheassessmentwhichfollows.
8.2.1 IntegrationofSEAandAAwiththePlan
To assist the RWMP team in developing policies and policy actions which had due regard for the
environment,theSEAandAAteamshaveworkedcloselywiththeplanteamtoensurefeedbackon
proposedwordingandactions.Thisincludedworkshopsandmeetingtodiscussoverallstrategyand
specific policy areas. The SEA and AA have, as a result, had very positive influence on the plan
evolution.
SpecificallyboththeAAandSEAteams:

inputtedtoaworkshoponalternatives(SeeChapter7);
undertookapreliminaryreviewofemergingpoliciesandpolicyactions;
provided feedback on policy language to address issues in particular in relation to Natura
2000andAA;
fedintositingcriteriafortheprotectionoftheenvironmentandhumanhealthforinclusion
intheplan;
developedadditionalmitigationmeasuresforinclusionintheplan.
As a result of this very active involvement in the evolution of the plan, and the very proactive
response by the plan team to suggestions made, particularly in relation to the protection of the
Natura2000,themitigationmeasuresidentifiedbytheAAteamhaveallbeenincorporatedintothe
draftplanandnofurtheradditionalmitigationarisingfromtheAAisrequired.Theassessmentthat
followshashadregardtotheissuesraisedintheAA.
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8.3
ASSESSMENTOFPOLICIESANDPOLICYACTIONSOFTHEPREFERRED
STRATEGICAPPROACH
8.3.1 PolicyActionsA–PolicyandLegislation
Takemeasurestoensurethebestoveralloutcomebyapplyingthewastehierarchytothe
managementofwastestreams.
Policy
A.1
Policy
Action
A.1.1
Move waste further up the hierarchy by eliminating the direct disposal of unprocessed
residualmunicipalwastetolandfill.
SEAObjective*
PolicyA.1
PolicyActionA.1.1
BFF_1
+/
+/
BFF_2
0
0
PHH_1
+/
+/
PHH_2
0
0
Soil_1
+/
+/
Water_1
+/
+/
AQ_1
+/
+/
CF_1
+/
+/
MA_1
+/
+/
MA_2
+/
+/
CH_1
+/
+/
LandS_1
+/
+/
Soc_1
+
+
Discussion
Policy A.1: Overall Policy A.1 is applying the waste hierarchy to the management of waste streams where
landfill disposal is the bottom tier and least sustainable option for waste management. Therefore priority is
diversionofwastefromlandfillandrecalibratingthehierarchywithrecoverynowtobeseenastheminimum
option.ThisisinlinewiththerequirementsoftheEULandfillDirectivewhichseekstophaseoutlandfillasa
wastemanagementapproachgiventheenvironmentaleffectsassociatedwiththepractice.TheEPAreported
in the national waste report that for the first time in 2012 the percentage tonnage of municipal waste
managedforrecovery(59%)exceededthepercentagetonnagemanagedfordisposal(41%).Thequantityof
municipalwastedisposedtolandfillcontinuestofallapproximately24%lessmunicipalwastewasdisposed
tolandfillin2012comparedto2011.
Thispolicywillhaveoverallpositivemediumtolongtermeffectsasitwillseethephasingoutoflandfilland
associatednegativeimpactsonsoils,water,BFF,CFandPHH.Anincreaseinratesofpreventionandvarious
forms of recovery will have a corresponding positive medium to longterm impact on all environmental
receptorsasgreaterresourceefficiencyisintroduced.Inaddition,whererecoveryalsoincludesgenerationof
energy,thiscanoffsetrequirementsforfossilfuelsandhavesecondarypositiveimpactsonAQandCF.
PolicyActionA.1.1:Thepercentageofmunicipalwastedisposedofnationallywas41%in2012.Thefocusof
this policy action is to reduce this further and to eliminate the direct disposal of unprocessed residual
municipal waste to landfill. The main issues with landfilling relate to atmospheric, hydrological and
hydrogeological effects. Landfills give rise to methane and other gases which have negative impacts on
climate and on air quality. Methane, which is generated from decaying and rotting organic matter, has a
globalwarmingpotential,21timesthatofCO2andplaysasignificantroleinclimatechangeeffects.Inorder
to control emissions of the gas, regulated landfills have to capture and manage the disposal of the gas at
considerable cost, even after the landfill has closed. In unregulated landfills, the gases may continue to
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escape. In addition to methane,other gases may alsobe generated as a result of the chemical makeup of
materialsdisposedofthroughcommercialandhouseholdwastestreams.
Landfillsalsocreateleachatearisingfromindustrialsolventstohouseholdcleanerswhichaccumulateandmix
overtime.Potentialpathwaysforthispollutionmayexistthroughsoils,groundwaterand/orsurfacewater
withthepotentialtoindirectlyimpactonPHHandBFF.Bymovingupthehierarchy,awayfromlandfillPolicy
ActionA.1.1willhavelongtermpositiveeffectsforBFF,Water,Soils,AQandCF.
However for both the Policy and Policy Action, it is recognised that in parallel to the positive impacts
experienced by many environmental receptors with a move away from landfilling, the other tiers of the
hierarchy may also give rise to impacts, particularly temporary and shortterms impacts on BFF, PHH, Soil,
Water, AQ, CH, LandS, and MA associated with construction of facilities and supporting infrastructure.
MediumtolongtermimpactsassociatedwithdisturbancetoBFF,PHH(fromair,noiseandtrafficnuisance),
AQandCFmayalsobeexperienceddependingonwherethefacilitiesaresited.
Cumulative Impacts: Positive effects on AQ and CF in particular as the move away from landfill will see
reducedemissionsfromregulatedlandfillingandinaddition,recoveryassociatedwithenergygenerationwill
offsetfossilfuelusagee.g.cofuellingatcementkilnsordistrictheatingfromWtE.
Mitigation Measures: Negative impacts associated with Policy A.1 and Policy Action A1.1 relate to possible
impacts associated with siting of infrastructure. While it is acknowledge that the draft plan includes siting
criteriatoreducethenegativeeffectsofimplementationoftheRWMP,itisrecommendedthatconsideration
begiventodevelopingSitingGuidelinesinduecoursetoguidedevelopmentofinfrastructureinasustainable
mannerwhichprotectstheenvironmentandhumanhealth.
*Key:BFF–Biodiversity,FloraandFauna;PHH–Population,HumanHealth;AQ–AirQuality;CF–ClimaticFactors;MA–Material
Assets;;CH–CulturalHeritage;LandS–Landscape;Soc–Social.
A.2
Implementthepolluterpaysprincipleacrossallwasteservicesandregulatoryactivitiesina
mannerappropriatelyreflectingtherisktotheenvironmentandhumanhealth.
Policy
Action
A.2.1
Review the application fee structures related to regulatory activities for local authority
facilityauthorisations.
Policy
Action
A.2.2
Review and implement (if appropriate) charging structures in place for wastes accepted at
localauthoritycivicamenityandotherlocalauthoritywastefacilities.
Policy
SEAObjective*
PolicyA.2
PolicyActionA.2.1
PolicyActionA.2.2
BFF_1
+
+/0
+/0
BFF_2
+
+/0
+/0
PHH_1
+
+/0
+/0
PHH_2
0
+/0
+/0
Soil_1
+
+/0
+/0
Water_1
+
+/0
+/0
AQ_1
+
+/0
+/0
CF_1
+/
+/0
+/0
MA_1
+
+/0
+/0
MA_2
+/
+/0
/0
CH_1
+
+/0
+/0
LandS_1
+
+/0
+/0
Soc_1
+
+/0
+/0
Discussion
PolicyA.2:Thispolicyaddressestheconceptofpolluterpays.Inkeepingwiththeprincipletherealcostsof
generating waste is borne by the producer. This includes illegal activities such as fly tipping and backyard
burning,thecostofwhichisbeingborneunfairlybycompliantcitizensandbusinesses.Thelocalauthorities
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recognise the principle is not currently being applied in its proper manner with inappropriate collection
servicesandauthorisationcostsinuseintheregion.Theincorporationofthisprincipleaspartofthestrategy
willseelocalauthoritiesaimtoaddresstheseissuesthroughregulatoryandenforcementactionstolevelthe
playingfieldforhouseholds,businessesandoperatorsneedstobelevelled.Itisanticipatedthattherewillbe
overallshort,mediumandlongtermpositivepermanentimpactsonallenvironmentalreceptorsasaresultof
thispolicyandthesupportingactions.
Policy Action A.2.1 and A.2.2: These actions involve a review of fee structures and while they provide the
tools, to inform future key actions, they do not lend themselves to assessment under SEA. However, it is
recognised that the policy actions will ensure consistency and transparency of charging which would have
positive impacts for MA as it will bring clarity and security for users of these facilities across the entire
SouthernRegion.Itisnotedthatshouldareviewleadtoariseinfeesandcharges,thiscouldhaveindirect
negativeeffectsontheenvironmentifoperatorsandusersofthesefacilitiesaredeterredduetocost.This
couldgiverisetoincreasesinbackyardburningand/orillegaldumpingaspeopletrytoavoidthecosts.This
wouldhavenegativeimpactsonBFF,PHH,Soils,WaterandMAinparticularbutalsoLandSandSoc.
Mitigation Measures: Any review of fees and charges should take into account how they might indirectly
encourageunsustainablewastemanagementactivities.
*Key: BFF – Biodiversity, Flora and Fauna; PHH – Population, Human Health; AQ – Air Quality; CF – Climatic Factors; MA –
Material Assets; CH – Cultural Heritage; LandS – Landscape; Soc – Social.
Contributetotheimprovementofmanagementperformanceacrossallwastestreams
throughtheimplementationofpolicyactionsandmonitorprogresstowardsnational
targets.
Policy
A.3
Policy
Action
A.3.1
Prepareanannualreportreportingontheprogressofpolicyactionsandtheimplementation
ofmandatoryandwasteplanperformancetargets(refertoChapter5).
SEAObjective*
PolicyA.3
PolicyActionA.3.1
BFF_1
+/
+/0
BFF_2
0
0
PHH_1
+/
+/0
PHH_2
0
+/0
Soil_1
+/
+/0
Water_1
+/
+/0
AQ_1
+/
+/0
CF_1
+/
+/0
MA_1
+/
+/0
MA_2
+/
+/0
CH_1
+/
+/0
LandS_1
+/
+/0
Soc_1
+
+/0
Discussion
PolicyA.3andPolicyActionA.3.1:Thispolicyandthecorrespondingactionaredirectedatdatagatheringand
whiletheyprovidethetools,methodologiesanddatarequiredtoinformkeyactionsarisingfromtheSouthern
RWMP,theyhavelimiteddirectimpactonenvironmentalreceptors.Theywillensureconsistencyandfollow
up in reporting and monitoring of actions. By ensuringappropriate reporting and follow up, this policy and
policy actionwill have broadlypositive indirect impacts on all environmental receptors by ensuring that the
effectivenessofactionscanbetrackedandimprovementsmadeifnecessary.
MitigationMeasures:TheuseofKeyPerformanceIndicatorsshouldbeconsideredintheannualreporting..
Material Assets;; CH – Cultural Heritage; LandS – Landscape; Soc – Social.
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
125
[SouthernRegion]
Policy
A.4
Aimtoimproveregionalandnationalselfsufficiencyofwastemanagementinfrastructure
forthereprocessingandrecoveryofparticularwastestreams,suchasmixedmunicipal
waste,inaccordancewiththeproximityprinciple.
Policy
Action
A.4.1
Monitorandreportonplanned,authorisedandutilisedcapacityonaregionalandnational
basis(buildingontheworkdoneforthewasteplan).
SEAObjective*
PolicyA.4
PolicyActionA.4.1
BFF_1
+/
+
BFF_2
0
0
PHH_1
+/
+
PHH_2
+/
+
Soil_1
+/
+
Water_1
+/
+
AQ_1
+/
+
CF_1
+/
+
MA_1
+/
+
MA_2
+/
+
CH_1
+/
+
LandS_1
+/
+
Soc_1
+/
+
Discussion
PolicyA.4:Theissueofselfsufficiencyhasbothpositiveandnegativeimpacts.Fromapositiveperspective,
indirectpositiveimpactsareanticipatedasaresultofreducednationalandinternationaltransportofwaste
streams if better selfsufficiency is achieved. The export of residual wastes to other locations outside the
regionoroutsideIrelandgiverisetotransportemissionssuchasCO2,NOx,particulatematteretc.Transport
emissions have the potential for direct negative impacts on air quality and climate as well as water quality
(bothfreshwaterandmarineenvironmentswherewasteisshippedtoothercountries).Thetransportalsohas
thepotentialtoindirectlyimpactonbiodiversity,humanhealththroughdeteriorationofwaterqualityandair
quality, disturbance of habitats and species, generation of GHG which can in turn impact on flooding and
landuse,etc.
Improvingregionalandnationalselfsufficiencyalsohasthepotentialfornegativeeffectsassociatedwiththe
new facilities that would be required resulting in landuse changes, emissions to air and water (albeit
controlled), disturbance of biodiversity, flora and fauna and populations. Any facility located within Ireland
will have the potential for some emissions locally compared to those occurring where waste is exported.
However, these impacts should not be significant as they will be controlled by the waste and IPC licensing
system. Any emissions would be within licensed emission levels that are based on standards intended to
protect human health and the environment. In addition, there are material assets benefits associated with
selfsufficiency such as jobs and economic benefits associated with the infrastructure and treatment of the
wastes.ThevalueofresidualwasteexportsisalosstoIrelandintermsoftherevenuegeneratedfromgate
fees and more importantly the energy, in the form of electricity and heat, produced and sold by European
recoveryfacilitiestoendusers.Newindigenousinfrastructureforresidualwastewouldbeviewedaspartof
thewiderstrategyformanagingwastesencapsulatedbythewastetreatmenthierarchy.
PolicyActionA.4.1:Thispolicyisdirectedatdatagatheringandwhiletheyprovidethetools,methodologies
and data required to inform key actions arising from the RWMP, they have limited direct impact on
environmentalreceptors.ByensuringappropriatereportingandfollowupthisPolicyActionwillhavebroadly
positiveindirectimpactsonallenvironmentalreceptorsbyensuringdecisionsrelatingtocapacityneedsare
considered based on the most up to date information on planned, authorised and utilised capacity on a
regionalandnationalbasistopreventoversupplyandpossiblenegativeimpactsonthereceivingenvironment
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
126
[SouthernRegion]
fromunnecessaryorinappropriatelylocatedcapacity.
MitigationMeasures:IncludethefollowingtextinPolicyA.4:…andhavingregardtotheprotectionofhuman
healthandtheenvironment,particularlytheNatura2000network.
While it is acknowledge that the draft plan includes siting criteria to reduce the negative effects of
implementationoftheRWMP,itisrecommendedthatconsiderationbegiventodevelopingSitingGuidelines
induecoursetoguidedevelopmentofinfrastructureinasustainablemannerwhichprotectstheenvironment
andhumanhealth.
8.3.2 PolicyActionsB–Prevention
Policy
B.1
Policy
Action
B.1.1
Localauthoritiesintheregionwillensuretheresourcesrequiredtoimplementwaste
preventionactivitiesareavailablethroughthelifetimeofthePlan
Appoint,wheretheroledoesnotexist,orretaintheroleofthelocalauthorityEnvironmental
AwarenessOfficersonawholetimeequivalentbasistoworkonactivitiesrelatedtothe
implementationofthewasteplanonalocalandregionalbasis.
Policy
B.1.2
Action
Policy
Action
B.1.3
EstablishthepostofaRegionalPreventionOfficeraspartofthestaffingstructureofthe
regionalwasteoffice.
Ensureanongoingfinancialallocationismadeinthelocalauthorityannualbudgetstocover
expenditureonwastepreventionrelatedactivitiesoverandabovestaffcosts.
SEAObjective*
PolicyB.1
PolicyActionB.1.1
PolicyActionB.1.2 PolicyActionB.1.3
BFF_1
+
+
+
+
BFF_2
0
0
0
0
PHH_1
+
+
+
+
PHH_2
+
+
0
+
Soil_1
+
+
+
+
Water_1
+
+
+
+
AQ_1
+
+
+
+
CF_1
+
+
+
+
MA_1
+
+
+
+
MA_2
+
+
0
+
CH_1
+
+
+
+
LandS_1
+
+
+
+
Soc_1
+
+
+
+
Discussion
PolicyB.1:Thispolicyprovidesanoverarchingpositivestructuretowardsensuringthattherearethenecessary
resourcesavailabletoimplementwastepreventionactivitiesoutlinedintheRWMP.Preventionisthemost
important and most effective waste management option in terms of protection of the environment and
human health as it is central towards achieving a resource efficient society. Preventing waste provides
environmental and economic savings through a reduced need for transport of materials and wastes and
reduced requirements in terms of capacity for collection, treatment and disposal of waste. To date the
approachtowastepreventionhasinvolvedamixofpracticalinitiativesalongwithawarenessraising.TheEC
Barometer survey Attitudes of Europeans towards waste management and resource efficiency (June 2014)
outlined that39% of respondents admitted tothrowingthings away as it is toodifficult or expensive to get
them repaired which highlights the challenge facing local authorities, the EPA and others engaged in waste
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
127
[SouthernRegion]
management in Ireland and the importance of prioritising prevention resources which this policy addresses.
The policy is positive for all environmental objectives as less waste produced will require less collection ,
treatment and disposal infrastructure giving rise to long term positive impacts for AQ, CF and MA (reduced
transport needs and reduced process emissions), water, soils, CH, LandS and PHH (less capacity needs and
reducedprocessemissions)positive.
Policy Action B.1.1: This policy action is critical to ensuring that environmental awareness is disseminated
withintheSouthernRegionandthatthepoliciesoftheRWMPareimplementedwithinthelocalauthorities
and collectively within the region. The Environmental Awareness Officers (EAOs) work in the area of waste
preventionandresourceefficiencyandholdakeyroleinwasteawareness.Thispolicywillensurethattherole
oftheEAOsisprioritisedandthateachlocalauthorityhasanEAO.WithintheSouthernRegionthereare10
cityandcounciladministrativeareasandatpresentthereare9EAOsworkingintheareaofwasteprevention.
Having dedicated resources being channelled into changing attitudes and behaviours in individuals and
businessesisanimportantbottomupapproachtoachievingoverallreductionsinwaste.
The policy is positive for all the environmental objectives as the provision of EAOs will ensure that waste
prevention and awareness is delivered to the different sectors within the region. Prevention reduces
environmentalpressuresonBFF,PHH,Soil,Water,AQ,CF,LandS,MAandCH.
PolicyActionB.1.2:Theestablishment/retentionofaRegionalPreventionOfficer(RPO)fortheregionalwaste
officewillhaveanoverallpositiveindirectimpactontheenvironmentastheroleoftheRPOwillassistwith
waste prevention and resource efficiency in an efficient and coordinated manner across the region. The
benefitsofthisapproacharebetteruseofresourcesandmoreeffectivedeliveryofanoverallstrategy.The
policyisreflectiveoflimitedresourcesandtheneedtoensurethebestoutcomesacrosstheregion.Better
coordination in terms ofprevention activities in particular will indirectly reduce environmentalpressures on
BFF,PHH,Soil,Water,AQ,CF,LandS,MAandCH.
Policy Action B.1.3: The financial commitment by the local authorities within the Southern Region will be
critical to ensuring that waste preventionprogrammes and initiatives are both maintained and expanded. A
targetofaminimumof€0.15cperinhabitantisproposedtobespentonlocalpreventionprojectsperannum.
Activitiessuchaseventsatrecyclingcentres,annualEcoWeeksandGreenDaysaredependentonfinancial
support.Throughtheseactivitiesthereisgreaterawarenessofnotonlywastepreventionbutalsoofwaste
managementoptionsavailableandthishelpstoimprovesustainablemanagementofwasteatanindividual,
community, regional and national level. Indirect long term positive impacts are anticipated for all
environmentalobjectivesasaresultofbetterawarenessofwastemanagementoptions.
Cumulative Impacts: There will be positive effects on the environment from the appointment/ retention of
EAOs and RPOs which will provide a strong structure of waste prevention awareness within the region and
thereforeleadtopositiveenvironmentaleffects.Thiswillfurthersupportedbythefinancialcommitmentto
fundwastepreventionprogrammesandandinitiatives.
MitigationMeasures:Nonerequired.
Policy
B.2
Promotebehaviouralchangeandextendwastepreventionactivitiesthroughinformation
campaigns,targetedtrainingandlocalcapacitybuilding,workingwithhouseholds,
communities,schools,businessandotherpublicinstitutions.
Policy
Action
B.2.1
Collaborateregionallyonpreventioninitiatives andprogrammestargetingpriorityareasto
raiseawarenessofthebenefitsofpreventionanddelivercampaignswithmoreimpactand
bettervalueformoney.
Policy
Action
B.2.2
Ensureexistingdocumentationonsectoralwastepreventionactionsandprogrammesis
catalogued,availableanddisseminatedinregion.Newmaterialonpreventionwillbe
producedtofillanysectoralneedsorgapsidentified.
Policy
Action
Maintaintheimplementationofeffectivelocalprevention,awarenessandeducation
B.2.3 campaignstargetinghousehold,communities,schoolsandbusinesses(suchasgreenschools,
homecompostingprogrammes,greenbusinessinitiativesreusecafesetc.)
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
128
[SouthernRegion]
Policy
Action
B.2.4
Maintain,developandintegratewastepreventionmeasuresandsystemsintoalllocal
authorityofficesandoperationstobestpractisestandards.
SEAObjective*
PolicyB.2
PolicyAction
B.2.1
PolicyAction
B.2.2
PolicyAction
B.2.3
PolicyAction
B.2.4
BFF_1
+
+
+
+
+
BFF_2
0
0
0
0
0
PHH_1
+
+
+
+
+
PHH_2
+
+
+
+
+
Soil_1
+
+
+
+
+
Water_1
+
+
+
+
+
AQ_1
+
+
+
+
+
CF_1
+
+
+
+
+
MA_1
+/
+/
+
+/
+
MA_2
+
+
+
+
+
CH_1
+
+
+
+
+
LandS_1
+
+
+
+
+
Soc_1
+
+
+
+
+
Discussion
Policy B.2: The focus towards behavioural change is a priority for waste management. Education and
awarenessispossiblythemostimportantpolicyareaofallintermsofenvironmentalprotectionasitoffers
thegreatestscopetoreducenegativebehavioursattheindividual,community,regionalandnationallevels.
Policies promoting prevention can have significant short, medium and long term positive indirect and
cumulative impacts for the environment as they target both reduced waste, and consequently a reduced
requirement to manage waste (through collection, transportion, pretreatment and final treatment). In
additionresourceefficiencywhichseesmaterialsreusedandrecycledratherthanbeingdiscardedaswastein
the first place. This too has indirect positive effects for the environment through reduced resource
consumptionandreducedneedfortransportandprocessingofmaterialsfortheconsumermarket.Thismay
resultinshorttomediumtermnegativeimpactsforsomeaspectsofMAasmarketsshiftawayfromresource
consumptiontoreuse.
TheWasteFrameworkDirectiveputspreventionatthepinnacleofthewastehierarchyasitisbetternotto
create waste if possible. In the EC Waste Directive Regulations the definition of waste prevention was
“measures, taken before a substance, material or product has become a waste, that reduce the quantity of
waste, the adverse impacts of the generated waste and the content of harmful substances in materials and
products”. Information campaigns will have positive educational impact on individuals and business to
promotetheconceptsofresourceefficiency;wastepreventionandpreparingforreuseasbestenvironmental
practice. Such campaigns are required to educate people that waste prevention sits above recycling in the
waste hierarchy. This policy is particularly positive for Soc as it will greatly improve the promotion of
sustainablewastemanagementatindividual,community,regionalandnationallevels.
PolicyActionB.2.1:Whilstinformationcampaignsatalocallevelarerequiredforindividualsandbusinessesit
isalsovitaltoimplementregionalcampaignsonpreventioninitiatives.ThisyearatthenationalBloomeventin
thePhoenixParkawastegardenwascommissioned,whichfocusedonthepreventionoffoodwaste.Thiswas
part of the national launch of the stop food waste challenge which the Southern Region is participating in.
Targeting priority areas to raise awareness and deliver campaigns will have positive impacts for all
environmentalobjectivesbyassistingthereductioninquantityofwastegeneratedandthereforetheimpacts
this waste would have had on the environment through transport, collection, treatment and disposal. The
collaborationofthelocalauthoritiesworkingtogetheronaregionalbasisisextremelypositiveinparticularin
terms of the social objective (Soc_1). The Southern Region has shown significant dedication to “greening”
events and festivals and is a good demonstration of the positive impact the region will make on waste
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
129
[SouthernRegion]
preventionandultimatelythepositiveimpactontheenvironment.
Policy Action B.2.2: The dissemination of documentation on sectoral waste prevention actions and
programmeshasoverallpositiveindirectimpactsforallenvironmentalobjectives.Thispolicyislinkedtothe
behaviouralawarenessforindividualsandbusinessintheregiontoensurethattheyhaveaccesstocurrent
documentationtoensurethattheirknowledgeisuptodateonwasteprevention.
PolicyActionB.2.3:TheECreportonResourceEfficientEuropeoutlinedhow“changingconsumptionpatterns
of purchasers, bothprivateand public, will help drive resource efficiency” and “consumers can save costs by
avoiding waste themselves and buying products that last, or that can easily be repaired or recycled”.
Comprehensiveeducationandawarenessprogrammesuseavarietyofestablishednetworks,traditionaland
newmediatodelivercampaignswhichprogressesthedevelopmentofawarenessonwasteprevention.Inthe
Southern Region the Green Schools programme is very active amongst schools providing support to the
schoolstoandinformingthenextgenerationofindividualsonresourceefficiency.Thisdemonstratesabottom
up approach in changing attitudes to waste prevention and has an indirect positive impact on all
environmental objectives. The Southern Region has seen significant progress in waste prevention with
householdersandcommunitygroupsthrougharangeofinitiativessuchasthetidytowns,compostschemes,
hazardous household waste prevention and biodiversity projects (e.g. Greener Cleaning Guide, Greener
gardening Guide) which all have indirect positive impacts on the environment in particular BFF, PHH, Soil,
WaterandSoc.
Policy Action B.2.4: This action is directed at the local authority offices but is not specific in terms of the
measuresandsystemsreferenced.Asnotedintheotherrelatedpolicyactions,wastepreventionhasoverall
indirectpositiveimpactsforallenvironmentalobjectivesovertheshort,mediumandlongerterms.Thispolicy
action will ensure that local authorities not only promote best practice but also operate to best practice
standardsprovidinganevidencebaseforreferenceintheirawarenessandtrainingwithinthecommunity.
CumulativeImpacts:Educationandawarenessdrivenfromthebottomupprovidessignificantopportunityfor
positive cumulative impacts over the short, medium and long term. Households, communities, schools and
businesses all implementing small changes derived from these education and awareness campaigns could
cumulativelyhaveaverysignificantimpactonprevention.
MitigationMeasures:PolicyActionB.2.2wouldbenefitfromtheadditionofenvironmentallegislationrelating
totheEUHabitatsandBirdsDirectiveandtransposingIrishLegislationtoensureallLocalAuthoritieswithin
theregionareawareoftheobligationstocarryoutAA.
Policy
B.3
BuildandmaintainastrongpartnershipwiththeNationalWastePreventionProgramme
Policy
Action
B.3.1
Establishregionalandlocalstructuresandnetworksthroughtheregionalofficetoensure
effective,consistentandpracticalcoordinationandimplementationofNWPPinitiatives.
Policy
Action
B.3.2
WorkwiththecommitteeandmanagementteamoftheNWPPtocontributetothe
developmentoftheprogramme’sinitiativesandtoreportontheeffectivenessof
implementationandfundingatregionalandlocallevels.
SEAObjective*
PolicyB.3
PolicyActionB.3.1
PolicyActionB.3.2
BFF_1
+
+
+
BFF_2
0
0
0
PHH_1
+
+
+
PHH_2
0
0
0
Soil_1
+
+
+
Water_1
+
+
+
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
130
[SouthernRegion]
AQ_1
+
+
+
CF_1
+
+
+
MA_1
+
+
+
MA_2
0
0
0
CH_1
+
+
+
LandS_1
+
+
+
Soc_1
+
+
+
Discussion
Policy B.3: This policy provides a focus on developing strong links with the National Waste Prevention
Programme(NWPP).Thisprogrammewassetupwiththeobjectiveofdeliveringsubstantiveresultsonwaste
preventionandminimisationforbothhazardousandnonhazardouswastearisings.Theprogramme,whichis
managedbytheEPA,haspublisheditsfourthiteration,TowardsaResourceEfficientIreland,whichwillrunto
2020. This programme includes a range of initiatives addressing awareness raising, technical and financial
assistance,trainingandincentivemechanisms.Thereareanumberofprogrammesandactivitiesdeveloped
under the NWPP, all brought together under ‘Be Green’. It includes guides aimed at shopping centres,
restaurants, hotels etc., programmes such as Green Healthcare, Stop Food Waste Programme and resource
efficiencyprogrammessuchasFreeTradeIreland.
ThispolicyispositiveinrelationtotheSEAobjectivesasastrongpartnershipwiththeNWPPwouldassistina
transtistiontowardsimprovedpreventionandminimisationofwastewhichwouldinturnresultinareduced
amount of waste requiring to be managed. This would have indirect positive impacts on all environmental
receptors.TheNPPWhasdemonstratedimpressivereturnsonitsprojectsin2012,forexampleGreenBusiness
Initiativehadaninvestmentof€0.34mwhichprovidedpotentialsavingsof€3m.In2013,17businessesacross
theSouthernWasteRegionavailedofassistancefromGreenBusiness.GreenBusinessalsoconductsanannual
workshop programme and in 2012 six of these took place in the SR attended by over 150 delegates. These
workshops provide businesses with an introduction to resource management through preventing waste,
reducingenergyandwaterconsumption,reducingbusinesscostsandimprovingcompetiveness.
PolicyActionB.3.1:Thispolicyactionwillhaveoverallpositiveimpactsforallenvironmentalobjectivesasthe
actionisfocusedonestablishmentofstructuresandnetworksintheSouthernRegiontoencourageprevention.
With the establishment of these structures and networks there will be better implementation of NWPP
initiatives which will improve waste prevention and minimisation and thereby have positive impacts on the
receivingenvironmentovertheshortmediumandlongerterm.
Policy Action B.3.2: This policy action will have positive indirect impacts for the majority of environmental
objectives. The policy action will contribute to the development of prevention initiatives which in turn will
resultinreducedpressuresontheenvironmentarisingfrommanagementofwaste.WithintheSouthernRegion
theFreetradeIrelandinitiativeprovidesoneexampleofthepositiveimpactthattheseprogrammescanhave
on the environment. There has been a diversion of 4,035 kg of waste within the Region and 185kg of items
havebeenreused.Hadthewastenotbeenreuseditwouldhavebeentransportedandtreatedwhichwould
havepotentiallyhadknockonnegativeeffectsonAQ,CF,BFF,Water,Soil,LandSandCH.
CumulativeImpacts:Therewillbepositiveeffectsontheenvironmentoverallfromastrongpartnershipwith
theNWPPandthepolicyactionswillassistwithenforcingandmaintainingthispartnership.
Policy
B.4
Policy
Action
B.4.1
Harmonisepreventionactivitiesintheregiontolinkwiththenationalhazardous
managementplan,producerresponsibilityoperationsandotherrelatedprogrammes(such
aslitter,sludge,wateretc.).
Promotethepreventionofhazardouswastestohouseholds,communitiesandsmall
businessesbuildingoneffectiveinitiativesanddisseminatingbestpractisethroughoutthe
region.
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
131
[SouthernRegion]
Policy
Action
B.4.2
Workwithmanufacturers,designers,complianceschemes,andnationalauthoritiesonthe
developmentofwastepreventionmeasuresforproductsandservices.
Policy
Action
B.4.3
Collaboratewithothernationalauthoritiesandagenciesdeliveringcommunicationand
informationcampaignstoincludemessagingonwastepreventionandrecycling.
SEAObjective*
PolicyB.4
PolicyActionB.4.1
PolicyActionB.4.2 PolicyActionB.4.3
BFF_1
+
+
+
+
BFF_2
0
0
0
0
PHH_1
+
+
+
+
PHH_2
+
+
+
+
Soil_1
+
+
+
+
Water_1
+
+
+
+
AQ_1
+
+
+
+
CF_1
+
+
+
+
MA_1
+
+
+
+
MA_2
+
+
+
+
CH_1
+
+
+
+
LandS_1
+
+
+
+
Soc_1
+
+
+
+
Discussion
PolicyB.4:Ajointapproachtowastepreventionacrossanumberofprogrammeswillensureacoordinatedbest
practiceapproachthroughouttheregion.Thispolicyactionwillstrengthenandsupporttheimplementationof
EU and national waste and related environmental policy, legislation, plans, guidance & codes of practice to
ensureimplementationisconsistentacrossvarioussectors,therebyhavingapotentialpositiveindirectimpact
on the environment and SEA Objectives. Harmonising prevention activities places a greater emphasis on
optimisingresourceefficiency,preventionofwastegenerationinacoordinatedandmoresustainablemanner
andprovideforgreaterintegrationacrossthevariouswastesectors.TheEPArecentlypublishedthe3rdNational
HazardousWasteManagementPlanwhichsetsoutprioritiestoimprovethemanagementofhazardouswastein
Ireland.Theirpriorityactionsincludeinthefirstinstancethepreventionofhazardouswaste.Inaddition,the
plan seeks to improve Ireland’s selfsufficiency for the management hazardous waste and continued
identification and regulation of legacy issues, such as the remediation of historic unregulated waste disposal
sites.Akeyaspectoftheplanisthecontinuationofpreventionprojectstoreducethegenerationofhazardous
wasteincertainprioritysectors,ledbytheEPAthroughtheNWPPincludingcoordinationwiththeRWMP.
PolicyActionB.4.1:Thispolicyfocusesdirectlyonthepreventionofhazardouswasteswhicharegeneratedby
all sectors of Irish society, from large industry, healthcare to small businesses, households and farms. Large
quantities of hazardous waste are generated, and there is scope to reduce this generation of waste through
waste prevention programmes. Hazardous waste has significant potential to negatively impact on the
environment, particularly our soils, water (surface and ground waters) and air resources. The export of such
wastesfortreatmentanddisposalabroadalsohavenegativeimpactsforAQandCFaswellasBFFandPHH,and
waterarisingfromshippingandroadtransport.Successfulpreventionprogrammeswillreducetheseimpacts.
PolicyActionB.4.2:Thispolicyactionisintendedtotakeaproactiveapproachtoworkingwithindustrytofind
solutionstoreducetheimpactofproductsandservicesintermsofpreventingwasteandaddressingthetype
and quantity of waste generated. This action is complementary to the toolkit of education and awareness
actionsalreadydiscussedasitfocusesatthestartofthesupplychainwherechangeinbehaviourandattitudes
canhavethestrongesteffect.Thedevelopmentofwastepreventionmeasureswillhavepositiveimpactsonthe
environmentalobjectives,particularlyMAandSoc.
Policy Action B.4.3: This policy action is focused on broadening the reach around comunication on waste
prevention and recycling by collaborating across a wider sectorial base with other national authorities and
agenciestoincludethewastepreventionmessage.Bycollaboratingwithothernationalauthoritiesitwillallow
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
132
[SouthernRegion]
forgreaterresourceefficienciesandcoordinatedmessagingacrossvarioussectorsandorganisationsresulting
inindirectpositiveimpactsforthemajorityofenvironmentalobjectives.Additionalbenefitscouldbegarnered
ifthemessagingincludedinformationontheimpactsofwasteonsocietyandecosystemservices.
CumulativeImpacts:Positiveimpactsontheenvironmentthroughthecollaborationbetweenauthoritiessuch
asIrishWater,localauthorities,theEPAandSEAItojointlyfocusonwasteprevention.
Mitigation Measures: Policy B.4.3 would benefit from messaging around the impact of waste on society and
ecosystem services to raise awareness across the region of why waste prevention and proper management is
vitaltoenvironmentandhumanhealth.
8.3.3 PolicyActionsC–ResourceEfficiencyandtheCircularEconomy
Policy
C.1
Establishreuse,repair,andpreparingforreuseactivitiesandnetworkstorecirculateand
extendthelifespanofitems
Policy
Action
C.1.1
Engagewithandfacilitateenterprisesinthedevelopmentofrepairandpreparingforreuse
activities.
Policy
Action
C.1.2
ReviewtheoperationofCAsitestofacilitatethesegregationofmaterialsforreuseatlocal
authoritycontrolledcivicamenitysites(WEEEwillbeconsideredsubjecttodiscussionand
agreementwiththecomplianceschemes).
Policy
Action
C.1.3
EngagewiththeCommunityReuseNetworkIreland(CRNI)andothersimilarnetworksto
developanetworkofreuse/upcyclingactivitiesandpromotionalevents.
SEAObjective*
PolicyC.1
PolicyAction
C.1.1
PolicyActionC.1.2
PolicyActionC.1.3
BFF_1
+/
+/
+
+
BFF_2
0
0
0
0
PHH_1
+/
+/
+
+
PHH_2
0
0
+
+
Soil_1
+/
+/
+
+
Water_1
+/
+/
+
+
AQ_1
+/
+/
+
+
CF_1
+/
+/
+
+
MA_1
+/
+/
+
+
MA_2
+/
+/
+
+
CH_1
+/
+/
+
+
LandS_1
+/
+/
+
+
Soc_1
+
+
+
+
Discussion
Policy C.1: Overall Policy C.1 is applying the waste hierarchy which seeks to move away from landfill as an
option for waste management and instead focuses on reuse of materials where possible to prevent them
becoming waste in the first place. The reuse, repair, refurbishing and recycling of existing materials is
containedwithinthenewEUmodelofa circulareconomy,shiftingawayfromthetakemakedisposelinear
model.Itfundamentallyconsiderswasteasaresourcewhichcanberecirculatedintothesystem.
Commodity prices have increased across the globe and therefore the demand for resources has increased
driving up prices and heightening the pressure on resources. This has intensified the focus on the circular
economywhichisvitalforIrelandasevenwitheconomicdownturnIrelandisoneofthehighestconsumersof
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materialspercapitalintheEU.ArecentEPAreportindicatedthatIreland’sconsumptionwas25.5tonnesper
personcomparedtotheEUaverageof16.5tonnes.Thereforethispolicyisparticularlypositiveinrelationto
socialobjective(Soc)inthepromotionofsustainabledevelopment.
Inadditiontothelongtermbenefitsreuse,repairandrefurbishingoffersinreducingthequantityofwasteto
be managed, in the short term it reduces the environmental impacts associated with resource use by
promoting the reuse of goods where possible. By focussing on reuse, this policy will have overall positive
medium to longterm positive effects, however it is acknowledged that a shift in attitude and behaviours is
neededinparallelifindustryistorespondwithproductsandmaterialsthatcanbemorereadilyreused.
Itisrecognisedthatinparalleltothepositiveimpactsexperiencedforthemajorityofenvironmentalreceptors
associated with reduced resource consumption, reuse of materials may give rise to some negative impacts
associated with the operation of such activities. To date, such activities have not fallen under an specific
permitting regime and there is therefore potential for direct short, medium and long term impacts to the
environment, particular PHH, BFF, soils, water, AQ, LandS and CH as a result of these activities, particularly
where parts / materials not required for reuse may ultimately become or return to waste and need to be
discarded appropriately. Inappropriate disposal has the same potential for negative impacts as any illegal
dumping of waste material with risk to soils, surface water and groundwater in particular. There is also
potentialfornegativeimpactstoPHHinrelationtohealthandsafetyofrepairofelectricalandothersimilar
goods.
PolicyActionC.1.1:AswithPolicyC.1,thedevelopmentofenterprisesintheareaofrepairandpreparingfor
reusewillhavesignificantpositiveeffectsfortheenvironmentwithlessresourceusageandlessgenerationof
wasteformanagementatlowertiersofthewastehierarchy.Theencouragementtofacilitateenterprisesthat
repairandreusewillhavelastingpositiveimpactsespeciallyinrelationtothesocialobjectiveSoc.Tobuildon
existing programmes such as FreeTrade Ireland and the Community Reuse Network or to develop new
programmesthatreduceourwasteconsumptionwillhavelastingpositiveimpacts.
HoweveraswithPolicyC.1,thereispotentialfornegativeimpactsassociatedwiththispolicyactionasmuchof
theactivityinthisarenacurrentlysitsoutsideofanywasteauthorisation.Thisisofparticularconcernwhere
parts/materialsnotrequiredforreusemayultimatelybecomeorreturntowasteandneedtobediscarded
appropriately.Inappropriatedisposalhasthesamepotentialfornegativeimpactsasanyillegaldumpingof
waste material with risk to soils, surface water and groundwater in particular. There is also potential for
negativeimpactstoPHHinrelationtohealthandsafetyofrepairofelectricalandothersimilargoods.
PolicyActionC.1.2:ThispolicyisfocusedonreviewingtheactivitiesattheCAsitestoensurethatmaterials
arebeensegregatedforreuse.Properandfocussedsegregationofmaterialswillfacilitaterelationshipswith
community reuse networks which can then rely on a suitable supply of materials for their enterprise. By
removingthismaterialforreusetherearepositiveimpactsforthemajorityofenvironmentalobjectivesasit
reducesthequantityofmaterialrequiringmanagementatlowertiersofthewastehierarchy.
Policy Action C.1.3: Engagement with existing networks in relation to reuse and upcycling activities in
communitieswill help promote this tier of the wastehierarchy. Reuse and upcycling havethe potential for
overallpositiveimpactsfortheenvironmentbypreventingproductsandmaterialsgoingtowasteinthefirst
instance.Thisreducespressureonresourceconsumptionwithknockondirectandindirectpositiveimpacts
forAQ,CF,BFF,water,soils,CH,LandSandPHHfromthereplacementofthesematerialsandproducts(virgin
materialsuse,processing,transport)andalsothepositiveimpactsassociatedwithreducedneedforcollection,
transport,treatmentanddisposalofwastesoncediscarded.ThepolicywillalsoassistIreland’sfuturetargets
of“preparingforreuseandrecyclingrateof6070%ofmunicipalwastebytheendof2030”.
CumulativeImpacts:Thereisapositivelongtermcumulativeimpactofbothwastepreventionandreduced
resourceconsumptionarisingfromthispolicyandassociatedpolicyactions.
Mitigation Measures: Negative impacts associated with Policy C.1 andPolicy ActionC1.1 relate topotential
impactsassociatedwithreuseandpreparingforreuseactivitiesoperatingoutsideofanypermittingregime.A
Code of Practice should therefore be prepared for the Reuse and Preparation for Reuse sector and this
shouldberolledoutalongsideaneducationandawarenesscampaignatthelocalleveltoassistoperatorsin
deliveringapositivesustainableserviceoverall.Registrationofactivitiesshouldalsobeconsidered.
*Key: BFF – Biodiversity, Flora and Fauna; PHH – Population, Human Health; AQ – Air Quality; CF – Climatic Factors; MA – Material
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Optimisethevalueofrecycledandresidualwasteresourcesinthesystemtoturnthese
materialsintoreliablesourcesofsecondaryrawmaterialsforreprocessingandrecovery.
Policy
C.2
Policy
Action
C.2.1
Introducebylaws,consistentacrosstheregion,tomaximisethequantityandqualityof
recyclablewastecollected.
Policy
Action
C.2.2
ProduceaCodeofPracticeforLocalAuthorityauthorisedfacilitiestomaximisethequantity
andqualityofmaterialproduced.
PolicyAction
SEAObjective*
PolicyC.2
PolicyActionC.2.1
BFF_1
+/
+/
+
BFF_2
+
+
+
PHH_1
+/
+
+
PHH_2
+
+
+
Soil_1
+/
+
+
Water_1
+/
+
+
AQ_1
+/
+/
+
CF_1
+
+/
+
MA_1
+/
+/
+
MA_2
+
+/
+
CH_1
+/
+
+
LandS_1
+/
+
+
Soc_1
+
+
+
C.2.2
Discussion
PolicyC.2:Thispolicyrecognisestheimportanceofimprovingthequalityandvalueofmaterialscollectedand
processed. Better quality secondary material will have access to more realiable end desitination markets as
wellashelpingtosupportindigenousenterprisesrequiringqualityrecyclates.Byimprovingthevalueofthe
wastes though better managment of how these materials are collected, segregated and processed gives
greaterscopeontheultimateenddestinationforthematerials.Improvingthemarketsrelatingtorecycling
andhigherorderrecoverywouldensuremorematerialisdivertiedfromlandfillandotherlowertierrecovery
optionswhichwouldhavepositiveimpactsforAQ,CF,BFF,PHH,water,andsoilsinparticular.Itishowever
recognised that indirect negative impacts may be experinced in relation to export of these materials.
ReprocessingfacilitiessuchasmillsforwastepaperarenotgenerallyavailableinIrelandasstudieshaveshown
thatIrelanddoesnothavetheappropriatevolumeofwastetosustainfacilitiesofthesizeandnaturerequired
tobefinanciallyviable.ThedevelopmentofrecyclingprocessingfacilitiesinIrelandisexpectedtoincreaseover
theperiodprimarilyintheareaofbiologicaltreatment.NegativeimpactsassociatedwithexportsincludeAQ
andCFresultingfromtransportandBFFandwaterinrelationtoshippingandwaterquality.
PolicyActionC.2.1:Thispolicyactionrelatestomanagementcontrolstodevelopaconsistencyinqualityand
quantityofmaterialscollected.Itisnotanticipatedtohavesignificantdirecteffectsontheenvironmentbut
maygiverisetoindirectpositiveeffectsinrelationtodiversionofmaterialfromlandfill.
Policy Action C.2.2: This policy action relates to management controls, the details of which are not yet
available.Overallitisanticipatedthatthisactionwouldbebroadlypositiveforthemajorityofenvironmental
objectivesasitwillimproveboththequantityofmaterialcapturedanditsquality.Thiswillinturnfeedinto
recyclingmarkets(indigenousandabroad)andallowgreaterratesofdiversionintothistier.
Cumulative Impacts: Cumulative impacts to AQ and CF as well as BFF and water associated with export of
improved quality recycled materials abroad. A considerable quantity of residual wastes in Ireland are also
exported for recovery etc. and this may increase the transport associated with Irelands overall waste
management approach however, it is noted that other polices seek to improve selfsufficiency in thermal
recoverywhichmayoffsetsomeofthisinternationaltransport.
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MitigationMeasures:TheCodeofPracticereferencedinC2.2 shouldincludereferencetositemanagementfor
theprotectionofhumanhealthandtheenvironmentwithparticularfocusonpathwaystogroundwaterand
surfacewaterfromstorageofsegregatedmaterials.
*Key: BFF – Biodiversity, Flora and Fauna; PHH – Population, Human Health; AQ – Air Quality; CF – Climatic Factors; MA – Material
Policy
C.3
Identifyandpromotethegrowthofsecondarymaterialmarketsandenterprisesinthe
regionthroughregionalandlocalsupports.
Policy
Action
C.3.1
LiaiseandsupportwithEconomicDevelopmentDepartmentsoflocalauthoritiesinthe
identificationofenterprisesandpotentialclustersofenterprisesforthedevelopmentof
secondarymaterialmarkets
SEAObjective*
C.3
C.3.1
BFF_1
+/
+/
BFF_2
0
0
PHH_1
+/
+/
PHH_2
0
0
Soil_1
+/
+/
Water_1
+/
+/
AQ_1
+/
+/
CF_1
+/
+/
MA_1
+/
+/
MA_2
+/
+/
CH_1
+/
+/
LandS_1
+/
+/
Soc_1
+
+/
Discussion
Policy C.3: Ireland’s annual expenditure on materials is between €40 to €50 billion and therefore it is
recognisedthatnationalpatternsofproductionandconsumptionmustchangeandIrelandhastoshifttoa
neweconomicmodel.Thepromotionofgrowthinthesecondarymaterialsmarketsispositiveinrelationto
the sustainable management of waste and particularly the social objective Soc. In addition there is the
potential to reduce our waste exports and have positive impacts on MA, through minimisation of
internationaltransportshouldmarketsandenterpriseswithintheregionornationallybeidentifiedthatcan
utilisethewastestreams.
Current programmes such as Rx3 (rethink, recycle, remake) and SMILE have proved vital to developing
marketsforrecyclablesinIrelandinlinewithgovernmentpolicy.Arangeofstakeholderorganisationshave
beeninvolvedacrossboththepublicandprivatesectorswithaprimaryfocusonpaper,plasticsandorganics.
As noted in Policy C.2, reprocessing facilities such as mills for waste paper are not generally available in
IrelandasstudieshaveshownthatIrelanddoesnothavetheappropriatevolumeofwastetosustainfacilities
ofthesizeandnaturerequiredtobefinanciallyviable.Thedevelopmentofrecyclingprocessingfacilitiesin
Irelandisexpectedtoincreaseovertheperiodprimarilyintheareaofbiologicaltreatment.Theplandoes
not deal with the type of location of such facilities and as such environmental impacts cannot be further
identified.
Policy Action C.3.1: This policy is specifically focusing on liaising with the Economic Development
Departmentstoidentifyopportunitiesforenterprisesinthesecondarymaterialmarketsandthiswillhavea
broadlypositiveimpactforMAinparticular.
Cumulative Impacts: Identification of opportunities for enterprises in the secondary material markets has
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
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potentialtohaveacumulativepositiveimpactonSEAobjectivesrelatingtopopulation,materialassetsand
socialasitprovidesforimprovedsustainabilitywhilstalsoprovidingcostsavingsandresourceefficienciesto
industry.
MitigationMeasures:NegativeimpactsassociatedwithPolicyC.3relatetopotentialimpactsassociatedwith
enterprisesoperatingoutsideapermittingregime.TooffsettheseimpactsitisrecommendedthataCodeof
Practice be generated to guide development of enterprises in a sustainable manner which protects the
environmentandhumanhealth.
Contributetothegreeningofpublicprocurementin localauthoritiesthroughtheinclusion
ofresourceefficientcriteriainalltenderingprocessesrelatedtowasteplanactivities.
Policy
C.4
Policy
Action
C.4.1
Prepareresourceefficiencycriteriaforlocalauthoritywasterelatedcontracts.
Policy
Action
C.4.2
Implementasystematicengagementwithlocal/regionallocalauthorityprocurement
officerstoensuretheinclusionofResourceEfficiencyCriteriainContracts.
SEAObjective*
C.4
C.4.1
C.4.2
BFF_1
+
+
+
BFF_2
0
0
0
PHH_1
+
+
+
PHH_2
+
+
+
Soil_1
+
+
+
Water_1
+
+
+
AQ_1
+
+
+
CF_1
+
+
+
MA_1
+
+
+
MA_2
+
+
+
CH_1
+
+
+
LandS_1
+
+
+
Soc_1
+
+
+
Discussion
PolicyC.4:OverallPolicyC.4andPolicyActionsC4.1andC4.2aimtoimproveresourceefficiencyandgreen
procurement in the public sector contracts/tendering process. These policies will improve the process
whereby public and semipublic authorities meet their needs for goods, services, works and utilities by
choosingsolutionsthathaveareducedimpactontheenvironmentthroughouttheirlifecycle,ascomparedto
alternative products/solutions. The policies will help meet the 50% target set in the Departments of
Environment, Community and Local Government (DECLG) and Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) Green
PublicProcurementActionPlan,GreenTenderspublishedinJanuary2012.
Greenpublicprocurementrecognisesthepurchasingpowerofpublicsectorandcanbringaboutefficienciesin
resource use, cost saving and environmental benefits. Examples include energy efficient computers, fuel
efficientvehiclesandsustainableconstructionmaterials.
Thispolicyispositivewillhaveindirectpositiveimpactsforthemajorityofenvironmentalobjectivesasitwill
ensure that resource efficiency (including in relation to waste generation) is built into the GPP criteria for
tendering. The RWMP has a number of mandatory targets for different waste streams e.g. 6070% reuse,
recyclingandmaterialsrecoveryratetargetfornonsoilandstoneconstructionand demolitionwastetobe
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
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achievedby2020.TheStateiscurrentlyexceedingthistargetbyaconsiderabledistancewitharateof97%
recordedin2012.Itisimperativethatthesetargetsaremetorexceededtoensurecontinuedpositiveimpacts
ontheenvironment.
PolicyActionC.4.1:AswithPolicyC.4,thispolicyactionhasabroadlypositiveimpactontheenvironmental
objectivesbyensuringthatlocalauthoritycontractshaveresourceefficiencycriteriaconsidered.
PolicyActionC.4.2:AswithPolicyC.4thispolicyactionhasabroadlypositiveimpactontheenvironmental
objectives by ensuring that there is engagement with local and regional authority procurement officers to
ensure consistency in approaches and a sharing of knowledge will have positive long term impacts on the
environment.
Cumulative Impacts: Improvements to resource efficiency and green procurement will have cumulatively
positive impacts on all the environmental objectives as it will complement the other resource efficiency
policiesandpolicyactionscontainedintheRWMP.
8.3.4 PolicyActionsD–Coordination
Policy
D.1
Policy
Action
D.1.1
TheLeadAuthorityonbehalfoftheregionwillparticipateinthenationalwasteco
ordinationgroupandothernationalgroupsrelevanttotheimplementationofthewaste
managementplan
Participateinrelevantnationalgroupstoformulatewastepolicyandpractice.
SEAObjective*
D.1
D.1.1
BFF_1
+
+
BFF_2
0
0
PHH_1
+
+
PHH_2
+
+
Soil_1
+
+
Water_1
+
+
AQ_1
+
+
CF_1
+
+
MA_1
+
+
MA_2
+
+
CH_1
+
+
LandS_1
+
+
Soc_1
+
+
Discussion
PolicyD.1:TheparticipationoftheleadauthorityoftheSouthernRegionsinthenationalwastecoordination
groupandinotherkeynationalgroupsispositiveasit bringsamoreholisticandefficientapproachtothe
implementationoftheRWMPs.Historicallytenwasteregionsexistedbutthishasnowbeenrationalisedto
threeregionswhichfacilitatesgreatereaseofcoordination,reducedadministrationandimprovedresource
use.
PolicyActionD.1.1Thepresenceofahighlevelgroupofkeystakeholdersbringsanewsystemofjoinedup
thinking to the management of waste on a national and regional level.The national coordination group in
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
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[SouthernRegion]
conjunctionwithkeystakeholdergroupswilltakecognisanceofwhatishappeningontheground,what needs
tobeaddressed,whatnewchangesarecomingdownthelineandhowtomanageandimplementpolicyinan
effectivemanner.Thisnewcoordinatedapproachwillallowformoreeffectivedecisionmakingtooccurin
termsofmeetingexistinganddeterminingfuturepolicyandwillensurethatsufficientstructuresinpractice
are in place to meet national and regional needs, avoiding over or under supply and/or unnecessary
replication.Therewillbepositiveeffectsfromthispolicyactiononalloftheenvironmentalobjectives.
CumulativeImpacts:Theparticipationinthenationalwastecoordinationgroupandothernationalgroups
willoptimisehowpolicyandpracticalmeasuresareestablishedinordertoimplementtheSouthernRWMP.
Thiswillreduceunnecessarypressuresandbringpositivecumulativeenvironmentaleffects.
Material Assets; CH – Cultural Heritage; LandS – Landscape; Soc – Social
TheLeadauthorityandlocalauthoritieswillworktogetheronthestructuresrequiredto
implementthewasteplan,capacitybuilding,trainingandknowledgeshareondelivering
wastemanagementactivities.
Policy
D.2
Policy
Action
D.2.1
EstablishandmaintainfundedRegionalWasteManagementOfficeandtherequisite
structures(includingadmin,technical&communication)toimplementnationalandregional
policy.
Policy
Action
D.2.2
EstablishormaintainaRegionalCoOrdinator,RegionalResourceEfficiencyOfficer,Regional
PreventionOfficer,TechnicalOfficerandadministrativesupport.
Policy
Action
D.2.3
Identifytrainingneedsandcoordinatefuturesharedtrainingtodevelopknowledgeand
expertiseatRegional&LocalLevel.
SEAObjective*
PolicyD.2
PolicyAction
D.2.1
PolicyAction
D.2.2
PolicyAction
D.2.3
BFF_1
+
+
+
+
BFF_2
0
0
0
0
PHH_1
+
+
+
+
PHH_2
+
+
+
+
Soil_1
+
+
+
+
Water_1
+
+
+
+
AQ_1
+
+
+
+
CF_1
+
+
+
+
MA_1
+
+
+
+
MA_2
+
+
+
+
CH_1
+
+
+
+
LandS_1
+
+
+
+
Soc_1
+
+
+
+
Discussion
PolicyD.2:ThispolicyisanextstepintheeffectivedeliveryoftheRWMP.Itreferstotheimplementationof
a top down approach and structures required to implement national and regional policy which will have
positive effects on the environmental objectives. The assignment of defined structures, roles and training
requirements is essential to an effective management process and coupled with training and knowledge
sharing,willcreateefficiencyandpreventunnecessaryoverlap.
PolicyActionD.2.1:MaintainingacentralRegionalWasteManagementOfficeandstructuresispositivefor
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
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[SouthernRegion]
alltheenvironmentalobjectives.Itwillfacilitateeasiercommunicationamongteammembersandbringan
overallgeneralefficiencytotheSouthernRegion.
Policy Action D.2.2: The team roles outlined for the Regional Waste Management Office will provide for
overallcoordination,smoothoperationsandsupportandpromotethetoptiersofthewastehierarchy.This
actionwillhavepositiveimpacts,inparticularwithobjective13Socwhichpromotessustainablemanagement
of waste at an individual, community, regional and national level. This will in turn have indirect positive
effectsontheotherobjectives.
PolicyActionD.2.3:Targetedtrainingandknowledgesharingwillproducehighlyskilledstaffwiththeability
to use their expertise to carry out the policies and actions within the Southern RWMP. This method of
targetedtrainingandskillsharingisaneffectiveworkingmethodandwillmakethemostofresourceswhich
inturnhasapositiveimpactontheenvironment.
CumulativeImpacts:Thepolicyandpolicyactionshaveidentifiedpositiveimpactsontheenvironmentand
thereforepotentialcumulativeimpactswillbepositivefromtheestablishmentofpersonnelandastructure
toconductregionalwastemanagement.
*Key:BFF–Biodiversity,FloraandFauna;PHH–Population,HumanHealth;AQ–AirQuality;CF–ClimaticFactors;MA–MaterialAssets;
CH–CulturalHeritage;LandS–Landscape;Soc–Social.
Policy
D.3
Policy
Action
D.3.1
FosterlinksandactivitieswithrelevantstakeholdersincludingbusinessesandIndustry
Groups,NGO’sandotherrelevantnetworks(includingcrossborderingnetworks)toextend
thereachoftheplan.
Establishpartnershipstobuildknowledgecapacityandtopromotehigherorderwaste
activities(prevention,reuse,resourceefficiencyandrecycling).
SEAObjective*
PolicyD.3
PolicyActionD.3.1
BFF_1
+
+
BFF_2
0
0
PHH_1
+
+
PHH_2
+
+
Soil_1
+
+
Water_1
+
+
AQ_1
+
+
CF_1
+
+
MA_1
+
+
MA_2
+
+
CH_1
+
+
LandS_1
+
+
Soc_1
+
+
Discussion
PolicyD.3:Thedevelopmentofstrategicrelationshipsandfocusonareasofmutualinterestthroughtargeted
stakeholderandnetworkengagementisahighlyeffectivemethodtowidenthereachoftheSouthernRWMP
sothepositiveimpactsandoutputsoftheRWMPareexperiencedonaregional,nationalandallislandbasis.
Byestablishingawideoutreachandnetworkitwillfacilitatecommunicationandawarenessandbringamore
cohesiveapproachtotheoverallexecutionoftheSouthernRWMP.
PolicyActionD.3.1:Theuseofpartnershipsandnetworksisaprovenbeneficialmethodofachievinggoals
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
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[SouthernRegion]
and cultivating common objectives of interest. By establishing frameworks of operation and knowledge
buildingtopromoteprevention,reuse,resourceefficiencyandrecyclingitwillhaveapositiveenvironmental
impactinparticularonPHH_1andSocwhichpromotessustainablemanagementofwasteatanindividual,
community,regional,nationalandallislandlevel.Thiswillinturnhaveindirectpositiveeffectsontheother
objectives.
CumulativeImpacts:Theimpactoftheincreasedpromotionandimplementationofactivitiesatthetoptier
ofthewastehierarchywillbepositiveonalocal,regional,nationalandallislandlevel.
Material Assets; CH – Cultural Heritage; LandS – Landscape; Soc – Social.
Policy
D.4
Policy
Action
D.4.1
Workwithkeystakeholders,includinggovernmentandindustryoperators,onthefunding
oflocalauthoritywasteactivitiesintheregionandcoordinateapplicationsforrelevant
nationalandEuropeanfunding.
ReviewEuropeanandNationalcallsforfundinginwaste,resourceandresearchareasto
identifyopportunitiesandpartnersintheRegionandmakeappropriateapplications.
SEAObjective*
PolicyD.4
PolicyActionD.4.1
BFF_1
+/
+
BFF_2
0
0
PHH_1
+/
+
PHH_2
+
+
Soil_1
+/
+
Water_1
+/
+
AQ_1
+/
+
CF_1
+/
+
MA_1
+/
+
MA_2
+
+
CH_1
+/
+
LandS_1
+/
+
Soc_1
+
+
Discussion
PolicyD.4:Aformalapproachtofundingapplicationstosupportlocalauthoritywasteandresourceactivities
byidentifyingrelevantpartnersandprojectsinordertodelivertheSouthernRWMPispositiveasamoreco
ordinatedsystemwillincreasetheprobabilityoffundingsuccess.Theprojectscarriedoutunderthefunding
should enhance waste resource management on a regional and national level which will bring associated
environmental improvements. It is critical that all activities carried out under the funding call are fully
compliant with all relevant legislation pertaining to the particular activity in question. Any exempted waste
activitiesshouldbegivendueattention.
PolicyActionD.4.1:TherearenumberofcallsforfundingatnationalandEUlevelandmanyofthesecallsare
contingent on a partnership basis. By identifying the relevant funding sources, activity and project
opportunitiesandpartners,itwillbringaclearfocusontheareasrequiringwork,definebenefitsandsetout
howandwhowillcarryoutthework.Increasedfundingwillbringpositivebenefitsasitwillallowactivitiesor
research to be carried out which may otherwise not be done. The Waste Framework Directive establishes
principles so waste activities do not have a negative effect on the environment and human health and it is
consideredthatthiswillextendtoanyprojectandanyoutputsfromtheprojectwork.
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141
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CumulativeImpacts:Providingthatprojectsarecarriedoutin acompliantmanneritisenvisagedthatthere
should be positive cumulative effects. However, there may be a small element of risk regarding exempted
activitiesbutitisrelativelyunlikely.
MitigationMeasures:NoneRequired.
*Key:BFF–Biodiversity,FloraandFauna;PHH–Population,HumanHealth;AQ–AirQuality;CF–ClimaticFactors;MA–MaterialAssets;
CH–CulturalHeritage;LandS–Landscape;Soc–Social
8.3.5 PolicyActionsE–InfrastructurePlanning
MarketanalysiswasundertakeninrelationtoexistingandauthorisedcapacitywithintheSouthern
Regionandanumberofpolicyrecommendationsweredevelopedinrelationtofuturedevelopment
ofwasteinfrastructureintheregion.FollowingiterativediscussionsbetweenthePlanTeamandthe
SEA/AATeamacommitmenthasbeenincludedinthedraftSouthernRWMPtoensurethatany
project and any associated works, individually or in combination with other plans or projects, are
subjecttoAppropriateAssessmentScreeningtoensuretherearenolikelysignificanteffectsonthe
integrity (defined by the structure and function) of any Natura 2000 site(s) and that the
requirements of Article 6(3) and 6(4) of the EU Habitats Directive are fully satisfied. This is in
addition to specific wording in relation to individual policies which have significant potential to
impactontheNatura2000network.Theinclusionofthiscommitmentisapositiveexampleofhow
theSEA/AAprocesseshaveinfluencedtheplan.
Atotalof25PolicyRecommendationsareincludedintheplaninrelationtoinfrastructurecapacity
and provision. An assessment matrix covering all Policy Recommendations is included in the first
instanceandthisisfollowedbyanassessmentunderthemaininfrastructuretypeheadings.
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
142
+
0
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
BFF_1
BFF_2
PHH_1
PHH_2
Soil_1
Water_1
AQ_1
CF_1
MA_1
MA_2
CH_1
LandS_1
Soc_1
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
E1
SEA
Objective*
+
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
0
+/
E2
+/
+/
+/
+
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+
+/
0
+/
E3
+
+
+
+
+/
+
+
+
+
+
+
0
+
E4
InfrastructurePolicyRecommendationsAssessmentMatrix
[SouthernRegion]
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+
+/
0
+/
E5
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+
+/
0
+/
E6
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+
+/
0
+/
E7
+
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+
+/
+
+/
E8
+/
0
0
0
+/
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
E9
0
+/
+/
0
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
0
+
0
+/
E10
143
+/
0
0
0
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
BFF_1
BFF_2
PHH_1
PHH_2
Soil_1
Water_1
AQ_1
CF_1
MA_1
MA_2
CH_1
LandS_1
Soc_1
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
E11
SEA
Objective*
+
+
+
+/
+/
+
+
+
0
+
+
+/
E12
+
+
+
0
+
0
+
+
+
0
0
0
+
E13
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+
+/
+
+/
E14
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+
+/
0
+/
E15
InfrastructurePolicyRecommendationsAssessmentMatrixcontinued
[SouthernRegion]
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+/
+
+/
0
+/
E16
+
+/
+/
+
+
+
+/
+/
+/
+
+
+
+/
E17
+
+/
+/
+
+
+
+/
+/
+/
+
+
+
+/
E18
+
+/
+/
+
+
+
+/
+/
+/
+
+
+
+/
E19
+
+/
+/
+
+
+
+/
+/
+/
+
+
0
+/
E20
144
[SouthernRegion]
InfrastructurePolicyRecommendationsAssessmentMatrixcontinued
SEA
Objective*
E21
E22
E23
E24
E25
BFF_1
+/
+/
+/
+
+
BFF_2
0
0
0
0
0
PHH_1
+
+/
+/
+
+
PHH_2
+
+
+
+
+
Soil_1
+
+/
+/
+
+
Water_1
+
+/
+/
+
+
AQ_1
+
+/
+/
+
+
CF_1
+
+/
+/
+
+
MA_1
+
+/
+/
+
+
MA_2
+
+
0
0
CH_1
+
+/
+/
+
+
LandS_1
+
+/
+/
+
+
Soc_1
+
+
+/
+
+
8.3.5.1
PreTreatment
PolicyRecommendationsE1toE2
Policy E1: There is a significant quantity of unused pretreatment capacity in the region and future
authorisationsbythelocalauthorities,theEPAandAnBordPleanálamusttakeaccountofthescaleofexisting
treatmentsinthemarketpriortomakingadecisiononadditionalcapacity.
Policy E2: Future authorisation of pretreatment activities by local authorities over the plan period will be
contingentontheoperatordemonstratingthatthetreatmentisnecessaryandtheproposedactivitiesaddreal
valueandqualitytotheoutputmaterialsgeneratedatthesite.
DiscussiononPolicyRecommendations
Analysisofpretreatmentcapacityintheregionindicatesthatthereisintheorderof5.4milliontonnes.The
indicationisthatpretreatmentactivitiesareprevalentintheregionwithauthorisationsrepresenting51%of
theactivetreatmentcapacity(approximately10.6milliontonnes).Utilisationsatexistingfacilitiesappearto
showadequatesupply(orpotentialsupply)remainingatexistingsites.
ThePolicyRecommendationsE1andE2relatingtopretreatmentrecognisethislevelofmarketcapacityand
seek to constrain oversupply by ensuring that the scale of existing treatments in the market are considered
priortograntingauthorisationand/orplanning.
Additionally the contribution of any future proposals to the quality of materials derived from the pre
treatmentprocessisalsorecognised.Thisisanimportantfactorinsecuringsustainable,highvalueonward
marketsforpretreatedwaste.Theunderlyingstrategyoftheplanaimstoimprovethequalityofwastesalong
theentiretreatmentsupplychain.Pretreatmentcapacitiesaretypicallythefirstdestinationforwastesand
arevitalinextractingandgeneratinghighqualityoutputsforthenexttreatmentstep.
The policies are broadly positive for the environment as they ensure that existing authorised capacity is
considered in the first instance prior to developing new greenfield sites. This approach has direct positive
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impacts for all environmental receptors by recognising the need for better coordination between the lead
authority,localauthoritiesintheregion,theEPAandABP.
PolicyRecommendationE2doesnotprecludenewapplicationsunderpretreatmentbutdoesrecognisethat
qualityneedstobeanimportantaspectoftheoutputsifmarketsaretobesecuredforthematerial.Thishas
directpositiveimpactsforMAinparticular.Futureauthorisationsdohavethepotentialtonegativelyimpact
onthereceivingenvironmentifsitedinappropriately,particularlywithregardtoPHH,BFFandWater.Future
authorisations therefore need to consider siting impacts from both construction and operation of such
facilitiesandensurethatallapplicationsareaccompaniedbyscreeningforAppropriateAssessmentunderthe
EUHabitatsDirective.
CumulativeImpacts:Byusingandtakingacountofupexistingmarketcapacity whereappropriate,cumulative
impactscanbecontrolledasunnecessaryadditionalinfrastructurecanbeavoided.
Mitigation Measures: Future authorisations for pretreatment activities should include an assessment of
potentialimpactsontheenvironment..AnAAscreeningshouldbecompletedforallfutureauthorisations.Itis
notedthatinSection16.4ofthedraftplanthatthereisacommitmentthatthelocalauthoritiesintheregion
will ensure that any project and any associated works, individually or in combination with other plans or
projects,aresubjecttoAppropriateAssessmentScreening.
8.3.5.2
PublicCivicAmenitiesandBringCentres
Policy E3: The local authorities in the region will maintain and develop their existing networks of bring
infrastructure (e.g. civic amenity facilities, bring banks) to facilitate the recycling and recovery of hazardous
andnonhazardousmunicipalwastes.
Policy E4: The local authorities may include as a condition of planning that developers of commercial and
largescaleresidentialdevelopmentsprovidebringbankfacilitiestoserveoccupantsandresidents.
PolicyE5:Localauthoritieswillexplorethepossibilityofacceptinghazardouswasteatexistingcivicamenity
facilitiesfromsmallbusinesses,whichissimilarinnaturetohouseholdhazardouswastescurrentlyreceived.A
chargemaybeintroducedforsuchaservice.
PolicyE6:ThelocalauthoritieswillrequirewastedevelopersseekingtodevelopaClass10wastetreatment
activity,asdefinedbytheThirdScheduleoftheWasteManagement(FacilityandPermit)Regulations2007(as
amended), to provide bring facilities for the acceptance of nonhazardous and hazardous wastes from
membersofthepublicandbusinesses.
PolicyE7:ThelocalauthoritiesintheregionwillcontinuetoworkwiththeEPAandotherkeystakeholdersto
supportthecollectionofhazardousfarmwastefromdesignatedbringcentrese.g.marts.
PolicyRecommendationsE3E7refertothedeliveryofanimprovednetworkofcivicamenityfacilities,bring
banks.Thisinfrastructureisavaluablepartofthehouseholdwastecollectioninfrastructureintheregionand
in2012over75,000tonnesofmanagednonkerbsidewastewascollectedviathisroute.Animprovednetwork
for these materials as outlined in Policies E3E7, willcontribute to a decrease in unmanaged nonhazardous
and hazardous wastes. This will have positive impacts on BFF, Soils, Water, AQ and PHH by ensuring these
materialsarecollectedandtreatedappropriately,reducingtheriskstosoils,airandwaterqualityfromillegal
dumpingandbackyardburning.Italsoreducesthequantitiesofthesematerialsenteringtheresidualwaste
fraction requiring disposal. This added prevention aspect also has positive impacts for all environmental
receptorsaslessdisposalcapacitywouldberequired.
Some negative impacts are associated with civic amenity facilities and bring banks in terms of antisocial
behaviour and litter. While a certain amount of this can be addressed through the planning system some
guidanceisrequiredtohelplocatenewbringbanksandtoensurethatexistingandnewfacilitiesaremanaged
appropriatelytodiscouragethisnegativebehaviour.Litterisparticularlysignificantasitcanbetransported
oversomedistanceandcausedamagetoterrestrialandaquaticenvironmentsaswellasimpactingnegatively
onvisualandamenity.
Anyareadefinedforcollectionandstorageofwaste,mayhavethepotentialtogiverisetocontaminatedrun
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offifstoredinappropriately.Thismaygiverisetorisktosoilsandwaterinparticularwithindirectimpactsfor
BFFandPHH.Theacceptingofhazardouswastesfromfarmsandsmallbusinessesfurtherincreasestheriskof
negative impacts from release of leachates, however it is noted that some CA sites already provide for
collectionofhazardouswastesfromhouseholderse.g.batteries,andpilotprojectshavebeenundertakenby
theEPAinrelationtocollectionoffarmwastesatlocalmartswhichprovideanevidencebaseforthisactivity.
It is essential that any new facilities developed under Policy Recommendations E3E7 fully ensure that site
drainageandmanagementissufficienttofullyprotectthesoilsandwaterenvironmentfromrunoff.Areview
of existing infrastructure which maybe expanded to take hazardous waste from small businesses shouldbe
carriedouttoensuresitelocationanddrainageissuitablefortheprotectionoftheenvironmentandhuman
healthinordertopreventcumulativenegativeimpacts.
Cumulative Impacts: Overall positive impacts in terms of capturing wastes by ensuring a comprehensive
networkofeasilyaccessiblefacilities.
Mitigation Measures: New CA facilities must include site drainage to capture all runoff in line with siting
criteriainthedraftPlan.
8.3.5.3
Disposal
PolicyE8:Thewasteplansupportsthedevelopmentofdisposalcapacityforthetreatmentofhazardousand
nonrecoverablewastesatexistinglandfillfacilitiesintheregionsubjecttotheappropriatestatutoryapprovals
beingapprovedinlinewiththeappropriatesitingcriteria.
PolicyE9:Thelocalauthoritiesanticipatedisposalcapacityfornonhazardousprocessedresidualwasteswill
berequiredovertheplanperiodbutthereisnoneedforadditionaldisposalcapacitytobebroughtonstream
duringtheplanperiod.
PolicyE10:Thewasteplanrecognisestheneedforongoingdisposalcapacitytobeavailableinresponseto
events which pose a health risk to citizens, livestock and the environment and the lead authorities of each
regionwillmonitoravailablecontingentcapacityannually.
PolicyE11:Thelocalauthoritieswillconsiderthefuturelanduseofpermanentlyortemporarilyclosedexisting
landfill sites and landfills not yet opened with the potential to develop alternative activities (subject to
amendments to existing approvals being put in place). Any development proposal shall be subject to
AppropriateAssessmentScreeninginaccordancewiththerequirementsoftheEUHabitatsDirectivetoensure
theprotectionandpreservationoftheNatura2000Network.
Potentialactivitiesinclude:

Waste treatment activities including pretreatment, thermal recovery, biological treatment,
reprocessingorpreparingforreuse;
Onsitetemporarystorageofwasteandmaterials;
Colocationofutilityservicessuchaswindfarmsorotherenergygeneratingactivities;
Developmentofpublicandrecreationalamenities;
Colocatingrecycling/reusewasteenterprisesonsite;
Resourcemining;and
Contingencycapacityforcrisisevents’.
PolicyE12:ThewasteplansupportstherepatriationofresidualwasteillegallydisposedinNorthernIrelandto
licensed disposal facilities appointed to a framework set up on behalf of the State by the National Trans
FrontierShipmentOffice.
PoliciesE8E12representspotentiallysignificant impactstotheenvironmentastheyrelatetoprovisionofand
managementofdisposalcapacity.Therehasbeenasignificantshiftawayfromlandfillingintheregion(and
nationally)withthenumberofactivefacilitiesfallingto1facility(Powerstown)acceptingmunicipalwasteinto
landfill(September2014).However,thereisanongoingneedforlandfillcapacityduringtheplanperiodfor
residual wastes, as contingency. The EPA has identified the need for potentially up to 277,000 tonnes of
disposalcapacityforhazardouswastematerialsrequiredtocovertheperiod2014–2019.Thisisanational
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
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[SouthernRegion]
capacityneedandtheEPAhasrecognisedthevalueofdevelopingexistinglandfillsites,includingthosewhich
arecurrentlyclosed,forthedisposalofcertainhazardouswastesi.e.asbestoswastes.Significantinvestment
has been made in developing these sites and substantial infrastructure is in place at each site to provide
access, landscape the site and to manage environmental emissions. In addition many of the sites have
connectionstotheelectricitygridwhichisavaluableasset.
Landfillscangiverisetomethaneandothergaseswhichhavenegativeimpactsonclimateandonairquality.
Methane,whichisgeneratedfromdecayingandrottingorganicmatter,isoneofthemostpotentgreenhouse
gasesandplaysasignificantroleinclimatechangeeffects.Inordertocontrolemissionsofthegas,landfills
have to capture and manage the gas at considerable cost, even after the landfill has closed. In addition to
methane, other gases may also be generated as a result of the chemical makeup of materials disposed of
through commercial and household waste streams and hazardous waste streams. Landfills also generate
leachate, an effluent which requires management and treatment over time. Potential pathways for this
pollutionmayexistthroughsoils,groundwaterand/orsurfacewaterwiththepotentialtodirectlyimpacton
soilsandwaterqualityandindirectlyimpactonPHH,BFFandMA.
Colocationofhazardouswastesdisposalatexistinglandfillsiteswouldbeanticipatedtoresultinreducedrisk
to marine/coastal waters due to reducedneed to export hazardous wastes out of Ireland. This would have
indirect positive impacts for marine BFF including shellfish and other commercial species. Positive impacts
wouldalsobeexpectedforAQandCFaslesstransportwouldberequiredinrelationtoexportofhazardous
wastes. Positive impacts would be anticipated for MA as Ireland becomes more selfsufficient in terms of
managing our hazardous wastes. These impacts are all likely to occur over the medium to longterm as
statutoryapprovalsarelikelytotakesometime.ThereispotentialrisktoAQ,Soils,water(groundwaterand
surfacewater)withinIrelandarisingfromlandfilldisposalofhazardouswaste,althoughthiscanbemitigated
and managed under the licensing process and careful consideration of siting to ensure that
designated/vulnerablesitesareavoided.
Policy E9 indicates no additional disposal capacity is required over and above already authorised capacity
duringthelifetimeoftheplan.Thereisanintentiontoreviewthisregularlytoensurethatcontingentcapacity
iskeptavailable.
Policy E10: Maintenance of a contingency has positive impacts for MA and PHH in particular but also BFF,
Water,Soils,andLandsasitensuresthatincrisiseventswastescancontinuetobecollectedanddisposedof
inlicensed/authorisedfacilitiesreducingthehealthrisktohumans,livestockandtheenvironment.
Policy E11 includes possible future land use changes associated with permanently or temporarily closed
landfills in the region. The suggested activities have significant potential to negatively impact on all
environmental receptors. It is recognised that this will be dependent on the proposed location of such
facilities in terms of proximity to sensitive receptors. Waste treatment activities have the potential to
significantlyimpactonAQ,WaterandMA(trafficandtransport)andindirectlyonPHH,BFF,Soils,LandSand
CH depending on the site. Storage of wastes and materials has particular risks in terms of soil and water
qualityandindirectlyonPHHandBFF.
Colocation of utility services has significant risks for BFF. Birds are often attracted to landfills and any
upstandingenergygenerationinfrastructuresuchaswindfarmspresentasignificantcollisionrisk.Asimilar
risk arises for bats. Provision of public and recreational amenity has the potential for significant positive
impacts for PHH and MA in particular once closed landfills have been stabilised. Colocation of reuse and
recyclingfacilitiesisanticipatedtobringbroadlypositiveeffectshoweverpotentialnegativeimpactsarisein
termsofPHH,Water,Lands.ResourceminingisarelativelynewareainIrelandwhereinclosedlandfillscanbe
dugup to extract metals, plastics etc. This practicehas the potential to impact negatively on AQ and CF in
particular as waste is disturbed giving off odours and possibly releasing methane etc. This would have
potentialindirectnegativeimpactsforPHHifnotmanagedappropriately.Disturbanceofthewastematerial
mayalsoleadtomobilisationofleachateswithconsequentnegativeimpactsforwater,soilsandindirectlyfor
BFF also. There is also the potential impact to BFF andMA as a result of spread of IAS. Maintenance of a
contingency has positive impacts for MA and PHH in particular but also BFF, Water, Soils, and Lands as it
ensures that in crisis events wastes can continue to be collected and disposed of in licensed / authorised
facilitiesreducingtheriskofillegaldumpingandbackyardburning.
PolicyE12relatestowastewhichoriginatedinIrelandbutwhichwereillegallydisposedinNorthernIrelandin
theearly2000’s.InApril2012,DublinCityCouncil’sNationalTFSOfficeestablishedaFrameworkAgreement
forlicensedwastedisposalfacilitiesintheRepublicofIrelandinordertoprovideaserviceforthedisposalof
wasteexcavatedfromsitesinNorthernIreland.TheFrameworkdurationisfouryears,and8landfillsareon
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
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[SouthernRegion]
the Framework, located within the three regional waste areas. In October 2014, only three landfills on the
Framework are open and accepting waste, none of which are in the Southern Region. Out of these three
remaining open, one is located in the ConnachtUlster Region and two are located in the EasternMidlands
Region.Thereare7sitesremaininginNorthernIrelandwithanestimated120,000tonnesofmixedmunicipal
waste to be repatriated for disposal over the next number of years. Remediation of these sites will see
positive impacts for BFF, PHH, Soils, and Water, AQ, CH, LandS and Soc in Northern Ireland. However it is
recognisedthatsomepotentialalsoexistsfornegativeimpactsassociatedwiththeremediation,especiallyin
relationtosoils,waterandBFF.AnysuchremediationshouldconsiderinparticularNatura2000sitesinthe
zone of influence which may be further damaged by additional disturbance of the wastes and also the
potentialforspreadofIAS.NegativeimpactstoAQandCFarealsoanticipatedintheshorttomediumterms
fromthetransportofwastesfromNItoIreland.
CumulativeImpacts:Thereisthepossibilityforcumulativenegativeimpactstosoil,waterandBFFandPHH.
These receptors may already have been impacted by the illegal disposal of wastes through mobilisation of
leachatesimpactingwaterandsoilqualitydirectlyandBFFandPHHindirectlyandAQimpactsthroughdust
andparticulatematter.Movementofthewastescouldfurtherimpactalreadydamagedreceptorsinthearea.
Mitigation Measures: The text of Policy Recommendation E8 should specifically reference protection of the
environmentandpublichealthhoweveritisacceptedthatthereisreferencetothesitingguidanceandcriteria
inthedraftplanwhichaddresstheissuetoacertainextent.
ItisrecommendedthatpriortoE11beingimplementedafeasibilitystudyisundertakenofthepermanentlyor
temporarily closed landfills in the region to determine what activities may or may not be appropriate for
consideration at each site based on site and surrounding sensitivities. It is acknowledged that the Policy
Recommendation specifically refers to consideration of the Natura 2000 network and this is considered
positive.Thefeasibilitystudyshouldalsoconsiderenvironmentalsensitivitiesunderthewiderenvironmental
scopeofSEA.
The lead authority should liaise with the relevant authorities in Northern Ireland to ensure there is a
management plan in place to prevent the spread of IAS associated with repatriation of waste. It is further
notedthatinSection16.4ofthedraftplanthatthereisacommitmentthatthelocalauthoritiesintheregion
will ensure that any project and any associated works, individually or in combination with other plans or
projects,aresubjecttoAppropriateAssessmentScreening.Thiswouldapplytosuchrepatriationprojects.
8.3.5.4
Recovery–Backfilling
PolicyE13: There is a significant quantityof unused active and pending capacity forbackfilling in the region
and future authorisations by the local authorities, the EPA and An Bord Pleanála must take account of the
existingtreatmentmarketpriortomakingadecisiononadditionalcapacity.
Policy E14: The local authorities will coordinate the future authorisation of backfilling sites in the region to
ensure balanced development serves local and regional needs with a preference for large remediation sites
aheadofsmallerscalesiteswithshorterlifespans.Allproposedsitesforbackfillingactivitiesmustcomplywith
thesitingcriteriasetoutintheplan.
Backfillingactivities(ofinertwaste)whichmeettherecoverydefinitionandareincompliancewithArticles4
and 13 of the Waste Framework Directive sit on the other recovery tier of the waste hierarchy. Backfilling
activities represent a significant amount of the treatment capacity in the region currently. Local authority
authorised sites have a total capacity of 1.46 million tonnes with EPA authorised capacity currently at over
980,000 tonnes. Utilisation in 2012 at backfilling sites was low, recorded at 10% of active local authority
capacityandat30%ofactiveEPAsites.Thissignificantunderutilisationreflectsthelowlevelsofactivitiesin
theconstructionsectorwiththesupplyofcapacityexceedingcurrentdemand.
PolicyE13andE14areseekingtoensureacoordinatedandbalancedresponsetotheprovisionofbackfilling
capacity across the region. Policy E13 in particular is focussed on ensuring that existing unused active and
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
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[SouthernRegion]
pendingcapacityisconsideredbeforeanynewauthorisationsmightbegranted.Thispolicycontributestothe
sustainabledeliveryofwastemanagementinfrastructurewithpositiveeffectsforBFFinparticularasnewsites
willnotbeencouragedwhileremainingunusedcapacityisavailable.
Policy E14 also looks at coordination of sites with a preference for larger facilities over smaller one. A few
strategicallylocatedlargefacilitiesmayresultingreaterlevelsoftrafficandtransportasusersfromallover
theregionhavetotraveltousethefacility.ThishasdirectnegativeimpactsforAQandCFandindirectlyfor
BFF,PHH,andwaterresultingfromtransportemissions.Largerfacilities,unlesssitedsensitivelycanalsogive
rise to greater nuisance and negative effects for PHH resulting from traffic, noise and LandS, however it is
recognised that policy E14 does require compliance with any siting criteria and this would mitigate such
impacts to a certain extent. A few larger sites may also offset the potential for cumulative impacts to air,
water,soils,BFF,CHandLandscapeassociatedwithseveralsmallfacilitiesspreadthroughouttheregion.
A very significant issue for backfilling, whether at a few larger or several smaller facilities is that it offers
significantpotentialforthetransportofinvasivealienspecies(IAS).TheInstituteforEuropeanEnvironmental
PolicyreportedthatIASareestimatedtohavecosttheEUatleast€12billionperyearoverthepast20years.
Impacts associated with IAS in Ireland include competition with native species, alteration to habitats,
introduction of pathogens and parasites and economic loss. If an invasive species e.g. Giant Hogweed and
JapaneseKnotweed,becomesestablisheditcanbedifficult,orinsomecasesnearlyimpossible,toeradicate.
DirectlongtermnegativeimpactsforBFF,PHHandMA(throughdamagetoinfrastructure)couldoccurifIAS
thatmaybepresentinbackfillarenotdealtwithappropriately.
CumulativeImpacts:Possibilityforcumulativeimpactsmoresowithseveralsmallfacilitiesthanlargerones
howeverthisisconditionalonapplicationofsitingcriteriatoensureanyfacilityissitedsensitively.
MitigationMeasures:TheLeadAuthorityshallliaisewithrelevantstakeholders(includingtheEPAandNPWS)
toensureanappropriatemeasuresareinplaceforcontrolofthespreadofIASatbackfillingsites.
8.3.5.5
OtherRecovery–ThermalRecovery
PolicyE15:Thewasteplansupportsthedevelopmentofupto300,000tonnesofadditionalthermalrecovery
capacity for the treatment of nonhazardous wastes nationally to ensure there is adequate active and
competitive treatment in the market and the State’s selfsufficiency requirements for the recovery of
municipalwastesaremet.ThiscapacityisanationaltreatmentneedandisnotspecifictotheSR.Allproposed
sitesforthermalrecoverymustcomplywiththesitingcriteriasetoutintheplan.
PolicyE16:Thewasteplansupportsthedevelopmentofupto50,000tonnesofadditionalthermalrecovery
capacityforthetreatmentofhazardouswastesnationallytoensurethereisadequateactiveandcompetitive
treatment in the market to facilitate selfsufficiency needs where it is technically, economically and
environmentallyfeasible.ThiscapacityisanationaltreatmentneedandisnotspecifictotheSR.
Thermalrecoveryactivities15wheretheprincipaluseofthewasteisasafueltogenerateenergyaredeemed
tositontheotherrecoverytierofthewastehierarchy.Theauthorisationoftheseactivitiesisoutsideofthe
remit of the local authorities and falls to the EPA. The Southern Region does not have any active thermal
recoveryactivities.TheEasternMidlandsRegioncontainsactiveandpendingthermalrecoveryactivitiesand
atpresentistheonlyregioninthecountrytohavethistypeoftreatmentavailable.The5activefacilitiesin
theregionareauthorisedtoaccept435,000tonnesofmunicipalsolidwaste.Theintakelevelsattheactive
facilitiesishigh,withtheexistingwastetoenergyfacilityoperatingatcapacityandtonnageacceptedatthe
cementkilnsgrowing.Afurtherauthorised727,875tonnes16ofmunicipalsolidwastecapacityispending.
PolicyE15supportsanadditional300,000tonnesofthermalrecoverycapacitywhichitisnotspecifictothe
SouthernRegionbutratherisreflectiveofanidentifiednationalneed.Thermalrecoveryhasthepotentialto
15
Suchasincineration(wastetoenergy),coincineration(cementkilns),pyrolysis,gasificationandothers.
Thependingcapacityreferstoanauthorisedbutunbuiltcapacity.Onlycapacitywithplanningpermission
andEPAlicenceshasbeenincluded.
16
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
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[SouthernRegion]
resultinnegativeimpactstoBFFandMAfromlandtakerequiredfornewfacilities.Thereisalsothepotential
fordirectnegativeimpactstoAQ,soilsandwaterandindirectlytoPHHasaresultofprocessemissions.AQ
andCFmayalsobenegativelyaffectedfromtransportofwastestothefacilityandashfromtheprocess.Any
newfacilitieswillbesubjecttoEmissionLimitValues(ELVs)whicharesetoutinlicencesexpresslytoprotect
human health and the environment. Significant impacts to AQ, water, soils and PHH are therefore not
anticipatedhoweversiteselectioniscriticaltoavoidsensitivereceptorsasfaraspossibleasearlyaspossible
intheplanningprocess.ItisnotedthatanysuchfacilitywouldalsobesubjecttoEIAandplanning.
ThefactthattheEasternMidlandsRegioniscurrentlytheonlywasteregionwiththermalcapacityindicatesa
regionalimbalance.ThisspatialimbalancemayresultincumulativenegativeimpactstoAQandCFasaresult
oftransportrelatedemissionsasmunicipalwastesbothfromwithinandoutsidetheregionaretransportedto
thesefacilities.
PolicyE16supportsanadditional50,000tonnesofthermalrecoverycapacityforhazardouswastesbutagainit
isnotspecifictotheSouthernRegion.IncreasedtreatmentofhazardouswastewithinIrelandhasassociated
potentialriskstosurfaceandgroundwaterresources.However,controlsinplaceundertheIPC/wastelicensing
regimemeanthatthisriskislowasEmissionLimitValues(ELVs)aresetoutinlicences.Therecanbesome
licensed process water e.g. cooling water from condensers, storage runoff and effluent from pretreatment
whichhavethepotentialtoimpactonsurfacewaterandgroundwaterlocally.Thisisnotsignificantasitwould
bemitigated/controlledbythelicensingregime.Ashresiduewouldrequiredisposal.
Local levels of NOx, PM10, VOC’s, metals, dioxins and furans in the vicinity of a hazardous waste thermal
recoveryfacilitycouldbeexpectedbutthesewouldbealsostrictlycontrolledinlinewithIPC/wastelicensing
regimes.Theemissionofdioxinstotheatmospherefromwellmanagedfacilitiesisexpectedtobenegligible,
when operated in accordance with the emission limit values set out in the licence conditions. Emissions of
NOxandVOC’saresimilarlystrictlylimitedinaccordancewithlicenseconditions.Iftheheatgeneratedbythe
thermalrecoveryofhazardouswasteissuppliedtoadistrictheatingnetwork,itmayresultinadecreasein
localairpollutioncausedbyindividualheatingsystems.
Cumulative Impacts: Possible cumulative impacts to AQ and CF may arise if spatial imbalances in thermal
recoverycapacityarenotaddressed.
MitigationMeasures:Thespatialimbalanceinthermalrecoverycapacityshouldbeconsideredaspartofany
futureauthorisations.Anynewfacilitymustcomplywiththesitingcriteriainthedraftplan.
8.3.5.6
Recycling–BiologicalTreatment
Policy E17: The waste plan supports the development in the region of up to 40,000 tonnes of additional
biological treatment capacity for the treatment of biowastes (food waste and greenwastes) primarily from
theregiontoensurethereisadequateactiveandcompetitivetreatmentinthemarket.Thedevelopmentof
suchtreatmentfacilitiesneedstocomplywiththerelevantsitingcriteriaintheplan.
Policy E18: The waste plan supports the development of biological treatment capacity in the region, in
particular anaerobic digestion, to primarily to treat suitable agriwastes and other organic wastes. The
developmentofsuchtreatmentfacilitiesneedstocomplywiththerelevantsitingcriteriaintheplan.
Biological treatment is clearly identified as a recycling activity on the hierarchy. The capacity for biological
treatmentbothintheregionandnationallyhasgrownduringtheperiodofthelastplan.Nationally,thereis
246,000tonnesoftreatmentcapacityauthorisedbytheDepartmentofAgriculture,FoodandtheMarineto
treatfoodorganics.Intheregionthereis137,300tonnesoftreatmentcapacityauthorisedtotreatanimalby
productsbetweenlocalauthorityandEPAsites.
E17 supports the development of up to 40,000 tonnes of additional capacity in this arena. Any new or
expanded facility has the potential to negatively impact on the receiving environment as a result of
construction and / or operation of the facility. Potential impacts during the construction phase are largely
associatedwiththefootprintofthefacilityandincreasedtrafficandassociatednoiseanddustemission.
Impactsassociatedwiththeoperationofthefacilityifnotmanagedcorrectlyarelikelytoincludeincreased
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
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[SouthernRegion]
traffic,dust,odour,airemissionsandprocesseffluents(whichcanbehighinnutrients)and/orhealthimpacts
duetospores/bioaerosols.
Itisanticipatedthatemissionswillbecontrolledaspart ofthelicensingregimeforsuchafacilitytherefore
significantnegativeimpactsarenotexpected,subjecttoappropriatesitingoffacilitiesinthefirstinstance.
Theabilitytocaptureenergyfrombiologicaltreatmentfacilitiesoffersthepotentialforpositiveimpactstothe
environment.
E18supportsthedevelopmentofbiologicaltreatmentcapacity,inparticularanaerobicdigestion,totreatagri
wastes and other organic wastes. Anaerobic digestion produces a high energy containing gas, known as
biogas,whichcanbeusedforgreenenergyproduction.Thiscanbeusedtooffsetsomeoftheenergyneeded
tooperatetheplantandassuchwouldhavedirectpositiveimpactsforMAandCFinparticular.
Overall biological treatment is considered to have a positive impact as it reduces the amount of waste
requiringthermaltreatmentand/ordisposal.Inadditionmaterialrecoverycanresultinacleanendproduct
withlowcontaminationlevels,whichcanbeusedasasoilconditioner.
CumulativeImpacts:PotentialforenergyrecoveryresultinginpositiveimpactsonAQandclimate.
Mitigation Measures: Siting criteria will be applied to offset any negative effects in relation to siting of
potentialfacilities.Qualitycontroloftheendproductisrequired.
8.3.5.7
Recycling–MaterialReprocessing
PolicyRecommendationsE19
PolicyE19:Thewasteplansupportsthedevelopmentofindigenousreprocessingandrecyclingcapacityforthe
treatment of nonhazardous and hazardous wastes where technically, economically and environmentally
practicable. The relevant siting criterion for the planning and development of such activities needs to be
applied.
E19 supports the development of indigenous reprocessing and recycling capacity for hazardous and non
hazardous wastes, where technically and economically practicable. Any such facility has the potential to
negativelyimpactonthereceivingenvironmentasaresultofconstructionand/oroperation.Impactsinclude
increasedtraffic,dust,noise,odour,airemissionsandrunoffduringtheoperationstage.Itisanticipatedthat
emissions will be controlled as part of the licensing regime for such a facility therefore significant negative
impactsarenotexpected,subjecttoappropriatesitingoffacilitiesinthefirstinstance.
Reprocessingandrecyclingfacilitiesmayrequireadditionallandtakeduetothefootprintofthefacilitywhich
canhavenegativeimpactsonbiodiversity,soils,landscapeetc.Ireland’sexistingindigenouscapacityforthe
reprocessingofsecondarywastematerialsislimitedwiththemajorityofmunicipalrecyclablewastesexported
withsimilarly significant quantities of hazardous waste being exported for reprocessing or treatment.
Exportingourwastetoothercountriesisnotsustainableinthelongerterm.
This is not surprising as Ireland has no glass manufacturing facility, paper mill, metal smelter, or large scale
solvent distillation plant. For many of these plants the quantity of feedstock available in Ireland is not
sufficient in order to make these facilities viable. Supporting of indigenous facilities for appropriate waste
streams will reduce exports with positive impacts for MA, AQ and GF as a result of reduced transport
requirements and associated emissions. Currently Ireland is exporting to the UK, Europe and further afield
includingChinawhichisconsideredunsustainableinthelongterm.
As with any development of an indigenous capacity, local impacts from associated infrastructure means
potentialforimpactstoAQ,water,soilsandBFFarebroughtbacktoIrelandassociatedwiththeoperationof
suchfacilities.
CumulativeImpacts:Possibilityforcumulativenegativeimpactsassociatedwithnewinfrastructure.
Mitigation Measures: It is recognised that based on economies of scale, market forces and end market
locations, national facilities for processing all recyclable materials may not be feasible and will need to be
assessedonacasebycasesituationagainstenvironmental,economicandtechnicalmerits.
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
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[SouthernRegion]
8.3.5.8
PreparingforReuseActivities
Policy E20: The waste plan supports the development of repair and preparing for reuse enterprises in the
regionaspartofthetransitiontoamoreresourcefocusedmanagementapproachandwillprovidetechnical,
regulatoryandfinancialguidancetooperatorsactiveonthistierofthehierarchy.
DiscussiononPolicyRecommendation
Preparingforreuseisahigherorderrecoverysolutionrecognisedasprovidingmorebenefitsthanrecyclingor
otherrecoverytreatments.TheconceptofPreparingforReuseisapositiveonewithpositiveimpactsforthe
environment, particularly in relation to reduced resource consumption and waste prevention. These two
aspects alone can have significant positive effects for the environment generally with less natural resource
usage and less potential for pollution to air, water and soils. Increased reuse activities have long term
environmental benefits by reducing the amount of waste requiring to be managed and reducing the use of
newrawmaterials.Increasedreuseactivitieswouldalsoresultinenergysavingsandthereforewoulddecrease
C02emissionsandglobalwarmingeffects.
However, there is also some potential for negative impacts. Repair activities have potential for negative
impactstoPHHarisingfromhealthandsafetye.g.repairofelectricalequipment.Inaddition,thereisriskto
BFF,PHH,water,soils,AQ,LandsandCHifparts/materialsnotrequiredforreusemayultimatelybecomeor
return to waste and are not discarded appropriately. Inappropriate disposal has the same potential for
negativeimpactsasanyillegaldumpingofwastematerialwithrisktosoils,surfacewaterandgroundwaterin
particular. Reuse of materials may give rise to some minor temporary and shortterms negative impacts on
BFF,PHH,soilandwaterfromcleaningactivitiesassociatedwithreuseofmaterials.
Cumulative Impacts: Positive effects on AQ and CF in particular as reusing materials avoids the need for
landfilling,wastelicencedfacilitiesandassociatedemissionsandprovidesforgreaterresourceefficiencies.
Mitigation Measures: As a minimum, registration of reuse and preparing for reuse activities and a code of
practiceisrequiredtoensurethattheseactivitiesaregiventhetoolsnecessarytocontinueoperationinasafe
andsustainablemanner.Continuedpromotionofreuseatindustryandhouseholdlevel.
8.3.5.9
FacilityAuthorisationsbyLocalAuthorities
PolicyE21:Thelocalauthoritieswillreviewtheapproachtoauthorisingwastetreatmentfacilitiesrequiringa
wastefacilitypermitorcertificateofregistration.Thefocuswillbeonimprovingtherelationshipbetweenthe
authorised and operational capacity at facilities with the intention of addressing the overauthorisation of
facilitiesinthetreatmentmarketsoastobetterreflectfacilitythroughput.
DiscussiononPolicyRecommendation
PolicyRecommendationE21reflectsinconsistenciesin theapproachestakentoauthorisingwastetreatment
facilitiesbyauthoritiesacrosstheregion.Localauthoritieshavecommittedtostandardisingtheapproachand
inaddition,theywillreviewtheallocationoftreatmentcapacityquantitieswiththeintentionofbetteraligning
authorisedandoperationalcapacities.Thismayincludephasingtoallowcapacityincreasestobegrantedon
thebasisofactualneedandsiteprogressivedevelopmentworks.
This coordinated and considered approach to the future planning of treatment capacities in the region is
anticipated to have indirect positive impacts for all environmental receptors, in particular PHH, BFF, water,
soilsandAQ.Itwillavoidtheneedforunnecessarylandtakefornewfacilitiesthatmaynotberequired,itwill
result in greater communication across the waste regions and local authorities and it will provide for great
clarityandconsistencyintheapproachedadoptedtomanagingwaste.Providedconsiderationisgiventoboth
regional and national capacities where relevant this policy recommendation will have a long term positive
impactparticularlyonPHH,MA,Soils,LandSandSoc.
Cumulative Impacts: Positive cumulative impacts anticipated for all environmental receptors through better
alignmentofcapacitiesinlinewithactualneed.
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
153
[SouthernRegion]
MitigationMeasures:ThestandardisedapproachrequiredunderE21shouldfacilitateongoinginterregional
engagementtoensuremaximumoversightofauthorisedandoperationalcapacityonaregionalandnational
level.
8.3.5.10 CollectionInfrastructure
PolicyE22:Theplansupportstheprimacyofkerbsidesourcesegregatedcollectionofhouseholdwasteasthe
bestmethodtoensurethequalityofwastepresented.Intheabsenceofsourcesegregatedkerbsidecollection
servicestheplansupportstheuseofauthorisedcivicamenityfacilitiesandbringcentres.
PolicyE23:Intheabsenceofkerbsidesourcesegregatedcollectionservicesandwheretheproximityofcivic
amenity facilities and bring centres is prohibitive the plan supports localised collection solutions such as
communitydropoffpointsorpaytousesystemssubjecttocompliancewiththehouseholdwastecollection
regulations.
PolicyE24:TheplansupportstheappropriatemanagementofInternationalCateringWaste(ICW)underthe
AnimalByproductRegulations(EC)No.1069/2009.
PolicyE25:TheplansupportstheimprovementofexistingPRIsandthedevelopmentofnewPRIsforspecific
wastestreamsincludinghumanandfarmmedicines,paints,newspapersandmagazines.
The overall percentage ofhouseholds signed up to a kerbside collection service inthe Southern Region was
67% in 2012, an increase from previous years. Policy Recommendation E22 promotes continued source
segregatedkerbsidecollectionasthebestmethodtoensurethequalityofwastepresented.Intheabsenceof
sourcesegregatedkerbsidecollectionservicestheplansupportstheuseofauthorisedcivicamenityfacilities
andbringcentres.
Promoting and achieving maximum collection rates has a number of environmental benefits. In the first
instance it results in higher recovery/recycling rates for the Region and a diversion of organic waste from
landfillsites,itresultsinlowercrosscontaminationlevelsacrossthevariouswastestreams,minimisesjourney
timesandassociatedtrafficrelatedimpacts(i.e.airandnoiseemissions)anditreducesrisksofillegaldumping
andburningofwasteandassociatedimpacts.
While overall the positive impacts associated with the policy outweigh the negative impacts there is some
potential for short term negative impacts associated with odour nuisance with the organic bin and possible
additionaljourneytimesandassociatedincreasedtrafficimpactsassociatedwitha3bincollectionsystem.
Furthermorethepolicysupportstheuseofcivicamenitysitesandbringcentresandwhilstsuchinfrastructure
haslongtermpositiveenvironmentalimpactsincapturingwastewhichmightotherwisegounmanagedthere
ispotentialforshorttermnegativeimpactsonAQ,MA2andPPH1duetoduetoindirectimpactsassociated
withtransportofwasteandnoise/disturbancefromsegregationactivities.
Constructionoffacilitieswillalsoresultinadditionallandtakeandassociatednegativeenvironmentalimpacts
thatwouldnotberequiredifwastemanagementsystembasedsolelyonkerbsidecollectionsystemcouldbe
achieved.
PolicyRecommendationE23supportslocalisedcollectionsolutionssuchascommunitydropoffpointswhere
sourcesegregationandcivicamenitysitesarenotviable.Thisoptionhaspotentialfornegativeimpactsata
local level on the community through nuisances from traffic, odour, noise and human health, if not
implementedappropriately.
PolicyE24supportstheappropriatemanagementofinternationalcateringwaste(ICW)undertheAnimalBy
productRegulations(EC)No.1069/2009.ThisiscurrentlymanagedbytheDepartmentofAgricultureFoodand
Marine (DAFM). Whilst this policy is positive in that it supports the Department’s role in the effective
implementationonthegrounditseffectivenesswilldependonresourceswithinthedepartmenttomonitor,
regulate and enforce compliance with codes of practices, environmental and waste legislation etc. i.e.
authorisationofanoperatorisonlyastartingpointtoensuringefficienciesinmanagementofcateringwaste
whichagrowingindustry.
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
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E25 recommends improving existing PRIs and development of new PRIs whilst overall this has a positive
environmentalimpactitcouldpossiblybeextendedtoincludeadditionalwastestreamsoratleastreviewed
throughoutthelifetimeoftheplantobeupdatedwhereasissuesoropportunitiesarise.
Cumulative Impacts: Overall positive impacts in terms of capturing wastes by ensuring a comprehensive
networkforkerbsidecollectionandeasilyaccessiblefacilitiestoaccommodatesegregationofwaste.
Mitigation Measures: Siting of any new facilities should have regard to the siting criteria contained in the
RWMP.
Consideration should also be given to extending the scope of waste streams included in the PRIs to include
cateringandfoodwaste.
8.3.6 PolicyActionsF–EnforcementandRegulation
Enhancetheenforcementofregulationsrelatedtohouseholdwastetoensure
householders,includingapartmentresidents,andownersaremanagingwastein
accordancewithlegislationandwastecollectorsareincompliancewithregulatory
requirementsandcollectionpermitconditions.
Policy
F.1
Policy
Action
F.1.1
Allocateresourcestothesystematicmonitoringofhouseholdcompliancewiththe
segregationofwastewithaparticularfocusonprioritisingthereductionofcontamination.
Policy
Action
F.1.2
Allocateresourcestothesystematicmonitoringofapartmentcomplexestoimprove
compliancewiththesegregationofwasteprioritisingthereductionofcontamination.
Policy
Action
F.1.3
Allocateresourcestothenationalsystematicmonitoringofwastecollectorsincludingonsite
auditsofwastecollectiondataandrandomroadsidechecksforcompliancewithpermit
conditions.
SEAObjective*
PolicyF.1
PolicyAction
F.1.1
PolicyAction
F.1.2
PolicyAction
F.1.3
BFF_1
+
+
+
+
BFF_2
0
0
0
0
PHH_1
+
+
+
+
PHH_2
+
+
+
+
Soil_1
+
+
+
+
Water_1
+
+
+
+
AQ_1
+
+
+
+
CF_1
+
+
+
+
MA_1
+
+
+
+
MA_2
+
+
+
+
CH_1
+
+
+
+
LandS_1
+
+
+
+
Soc_1
+
+
+
+
Discussion
PolicyF.1:ThepolicyrelatingtoEnforcementandRegulationActionsinvolvesimplementationofconsistent
andcoordinatedsystemfortheenforcementofregulationsrelatedtowasteactivities,andassuchwillresult
inoverallpositiveindirectimpactsontheenvironment.ThepolicywillprovidestrengthandsupporttoEUand
nationalwasteandrelatedenvironmentalpolicy,legislation,guidanceandcodesofpractice,therebyhavinga
potentialpositiveindirectimpactontheenvironment.Managementofwasteactivitiesthroughenforcement
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
155
[SouthernRegion]
viaincreasedresourcesandmonitoringwillultimatelyresultinimprovementstothemannerinwhichwasteis
segregated by the householder, reduce cross contamination impacts associated with mixing of waste
inappropriatelyandmaximisethevolumeofwastetreatedinactivitieshigherupthewastehierarchyresulting
inanetenvironmentalbenefitforeverytonneofwastemanagedmoreefficiently.
Policy Action F.1.1: An analysis of the types of municipal wastes accepted for disposal during 2012 showed
therewasanincreaseinthequantityofresiduesfromsourceseparatedrecyclablewastewhichmaybedueto
an increase in contamination levels of the mixed dry recyclable bins (EPA, 2012). Management of waste
activities through enforcement via increased resources and monitoring will therefore ultimately result in
improvements to the manner in which waste is segregated by the householder which will reduce cross
contamination associated with mixing of waste inappropriately with the associated benefits as outlined
previously in F.1 above. The policy action will also ensure consistency and follow up in reporting and
monitoringofactions.Byensuringregularandappropriatemonitoringandfollowupthispolicyandactionwill
havebroadlypositiveindirectimpactsonallenvironmentalreceptorsbyensuringthathouseholdersthatare
notcompliantaresoughtout.
PolicyActionF.1.2:Apartmentsaccountedfor11%ofhouseholdsintheStateaccordingtothe2011census.
Crosscontaminationofwasteinapartmentcomplexesisconsideredachallengetothewasteindustrygiven
the difficulty of monitoring waste collected from householders in a central location within the apartment
complex,ratherthanfromindividualdoortodoorcollectionpoints.SimilartoPolicyActionF.1.1increased
managementofwastesegregationthroughincreasedresourcesandmonitoringwillresultinapositiveimpact
to the environment by improving the quantity of waste recycled, reducing the percentage of cross
contaminationinwasteandmaxisingthevolumeofwastetreatedinactivitieshigherupthewastehierarchy.
PolicyActionF.1.3:Byensuringongoingmonitoringofwastecollectorsthisactionwillhavebroadlypositive
indirect impacts on all environmental receptors by ensuring that noncompliance with waste collection
permitsistrackedandimprovements/finesmadeifnecessary.Thispolicywillalsoimprovethecollectionof
data and annual reporting from waste collectors to ensure a consistent approach to waste recording and
statistics in the Southern Region. Management of waste activities through monitoring of waste collector
activitieswillultimatelyresultinimprovementstothemannerinwhichwasteiscollectedandmanagedacross
theRegionfromthevariouswastecollectorsinoperation.
Cumulative Impacts: Positive effects on AQ and CF in particular, as a reduction in cross contamination of
wastewillresultinreducedquantityofwastegoingtolandfillwhichinturnwillseereducedemissionsfrom
regulatedlandfilling.
Mitigation Measures: Results on monitoring should be documented annually. The use of Key Performance
Indicatorsshouldbeconsideredinreportingthemonitoringresults.
Enforceallwasteregulationsthroughincreasedmonitoringactivities,andenforcement
actionsfornoncompliancewithauthorisationsandregulatoryobligations
Policy
F.2
Policy
Action
F.2.1
PrepareaRegionalRMCEI Plan toprioritiseenforcementactionsandactivitiesacrossthe
regiontakingaccountofthenationalenforcementprioritieslaiddownbytheEPA&DECLG
Policy
Action
F.2.2
Maintainhighlevelofsiteinspectionsofallexistingwasteauthorisationsandensure
reflectedintheRMCEI
SEAObjective*
PolicyF.2
PolicyActionF.2.1
PolicyActionF.2.2
BFF_1
+
+
+
BFF_2
0
0
0
PHH_1
+
+
+
PHH_2
+
+
+
Soil_1
+
+
+
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
156
[SouthernRegion]
Water_1
+
+
+
AQ_1
+
+
+
CF_1
+
+
+
MA_1
+
+
+
MA_2
+
+
+
CH_1
+
+
+
LandS_1
+
+
+
Soc_1
+
+
+
Discussion
PolicyF.2:Increasedmonitoringactivitiesinrespectofcompliancewithauthorisationsandobligationsunder
waste regulations will have an overall positive impact on the environment. It will strengthening compliance
withEUenvironmentandnationallawandcontributetomoreconsistentenforcementofwastemanagement
activitiesthroughouttheSouthernRegion.
Policy Action F.2.1: Preparation of a Southern Regional Minimum Criteria for Environmental Inspections
(RMCEI) plan prioritising enforcement is an important instrument. It will ensure implementation of
enforcementprioritiesonacoordinatedregionalbasis,takingaccountofnationalprioritiesassetoutbythe
EPAandDECLG.
Policy Action F.2.2: This Policy Action places an emphasis on undertaking site inspections and ensuring the
result are documented in the RMCEI plan. Inspections are an important instrument to ensure the
implementation and enforcement of the relevant regulations. Any form of auditing/ inspection of waste
activities will result in improved performance and management resulting in reduced potential for
environmentalimpactsassociatedwithsuchfacilities.Thereforethispolicyactionwillhaveanoverallpositive
impactontheenvironmentalobjectives.
Cumulative Impacts: There will be an overall positive impact on the environment from the enforcement of
wasteregulationsandprioritisationofenforcementactions.
MitigationMeasures:ResultsonmonitoringshouldbedocumentedannuallyintheRMCEIplanandtheuseof
KPIsshouldbeconsideredinreportingofthemonitoringresults.TheRMCEIshouldcontainspecificcriteriato
addressthemanagementofwastewhichinturnshouldinformtheinspections.
Takemeasurestopreventandceaseunauthorisedwasteactivitiesbywayofinvestigation,
notifications,remediationrequestsorlegalactionasappropriate.
Policy
F.3
Policy
Action
F.3.1
IdentifyandmaintaintheroleofEnvironmentalComplaintsCoordinatortomanagean
unauthorisedwasteactivitydatabasebasedoncomplaintsreceivedandmonitoring
undertaken.
Policy
Action
F.3.2
Carryoutinvestigationsandissuenotifications,asrequired,asdictatedbytheUnauthorised
WasteActivitydatabaseandasdirectedbytheEPA.
Policy
Action
F.3.3
PrepareActionPlan(subjecttoAAScreening)todealwiththepreventionandmanagement
ofwastefromunauthorisedactivitiesandwastearisingsfromothercriminalactivities.Co
ordinationrequiredbetweentheRegions.
SEAObjective*
F.3
F.3.1
F.3.2
F.3.3
BFF_1
+
+
+
+
BFF_2
0
0
0
0
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
157
[SouthernRegion]
PHH_1
+
+
+
+
PHH_2
+
+
+
+
Soil_1
+
+
+
+
Water_1
+
+
+
+
AQ_1
+
+
+
+
CF_1
+
+
+
+
MA_1
+
+
+
+
MA_2
+
+
+
+
CH_1
+
+
+
+
LandS_1
+
+
+
+
Soc_1
+
+
+
+
Discussion
Policy F.3: Unauthorised waste activities encompass a broad range of possible infringements of legislation,
fromindividualhouseholdersorbusinessesnothandlingwastecorrectly,tothelargescaleillegaldepositionof
waste.ImplementationofpolicyoncombattingunauthorisedwasteactivitieswithintheSouthernRegionwill
havealongtermbenefittotheenvironmentandsociety.
PolicyActionF.3.1:ThisPolicyActionshouldleadtoasmartercoordinatedwasteenforcementsystemto
recordinanaccessibleformatcomplaintsreceivedandthefindingsfromthemonitoringacrosstheSouthern
Region.Itwillresultincoordinatedreporting,responsestocomplaintsreceivedandpotentialforfollowupon
actionswhichwillresultinalongtermpositiveimpacttotheenvironment.
PolicyActionF.3.2:ThisPolicyActionshouldleadtoasmartercoordinatedwasteenforcementsystemthatis
better equipped to tackle unauthorised activities and serious environmental crime. Unauthorised waste
activitiesincludebothwasterelatedactivitiesthatareconductedwithoutappropriateauthorisationorarein
significant breach of their authorisation. This encompasses a broad range of possible infringements of
legislation,fromhouseholdersorbusinessesnothandlingwastecorrectlytothelargescaleillegaldeposition
ofwaste.ThePolicyActionwillhaveindirectpositiveimpactsontheenvironmentwithintheSouthernRegion.
Policy Action F.3.3: Criminal waste activities result in long term negative impacts to the environment in
particular on soils, geology, biodiversity and human health. Preparation of an Action Plan to prevent and
manage fuel laundering in coordination with the other RWMP Regions will result in a positive longterm
impactontheenvironmentwhichwillbeconsistentandintegratedacrossthethreeRWMPRegions.
Cumulative Impacts: There will be an overall positive impact on the environment from these policy actions
whichwillincludemeasurestopreventunauthorisedwasteactivities.
Mitigation Measures: The proposed Action Plan to address waste arising from criminal activity should be
prepared in consultation with various stakeholders including the NPWS, GSI, Gardaí etc. Responsibilities for
implementingtheActionPlanandmonitoringrequirementstoassessitsimplementationwillbecriticaltoits
success.
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158
[SouthernRegion]
Improvetheconsistencyoflocalauthoritywasteauthorisationsandconditionsissuedto
wastecollectorsandfacilityoperators
Policy
F.4
Policy
Action
F.4.1
WorkwithNWCPOtostandardiseWasteCollectionPermitconditionswithstandard
mandatoryconditionsandlocaldiscretionaryconditions.
Policy
Action
F.4.2
MovetostandardiseconditionsforWasteFacilityPermit/CORconditionswithstandard
mandatoryconditionsandlocaldiscretionaryconditions.
SEAObjective*
F.4
F.4.1
F.4.2
BFF_1
+
+
+
BFF_2
0
0
0
PHH_1
+
+
+
PHH_2
0
0
0
Soil_1
+
+
+
Water_1
+
+
+
AQ_1
+
+
+
CF_1
+
+
+
MA_1
+
+
+
MA_2
0
0
0
CH_1
+
+
+
LandS_1
+
+
+
Soc_1
+
+
+
Discussion
Policy F.4 and Policy Actions F4.1 and F4.2: Improving consistency of waste authorisations and conditions
issuedwillprovidegreaterclarityforwasteoperatorsandwillfacilitateeasierandmoreeffectiveenforcement
andtheintroductionofbestpracticeapproachesintheindustry.Dependingonthetypesofconditionsissued,
thispolicyhasthepotentialtohaveindirectpositivelongtermimpactsforAQ,Soils,Water,BFF,CH,LandS
andPHHthroughbetterorganisationandcontrolofactivitiesasitisbetterforindustryandoperatorssogood
forMA.
Mitigation Measures: Standard mandatory conditions and local discretionary conditions should consider
inclusionofscreeninginrelationtobothEIAandAAprocesses.
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8.3.7 PolicyActionsG–Protection
Policy
G.1
Ensurethehighestenvironmentalandhumanhealthbenefitsareachievedbyprioritising
theimplementationoftheuppertiersofthewastehierarchyandensuringtheseactions
arefundedappropriately
Policy
Action
G.1.1
Reviewlocalauthorityexpenditureonlowerwasteorderactivitiestodetermineifthereis
scopetodeliveramorecosteffectiveserviceandbalanceexpenditureacrossthehierarchy.
SEAObjective*
PolicyG.1
PolicyActionG.1.1
BFF_1
+/
+
BFF_2
+
+
PHH_1
+
+
PHH_2
+
+
Soil_1
+/
+
Water_1
+/
+
AQ_1
+/
+
CF_1
+/
+
MA_1
+/
+
MA_2
+/
+
CH_1
+/
+
LandS_1
+/
+
Soc_1
+
+
Discussion
PolicyG.1:Theuppertiersofthewastehierarchyplacegreatemphasison,preventionandreuseThispolicy
willensurethattheseareasareprioritisedandfundedappropriatelytominimisethegenerationofwasteand
therefore reduce the volumes of waste requiring transportation, treatment and disposal. Less resource
consumptionthroughincreasesinprevention,reuseandrecyclingwouldhavepositiveimpactsonCFasless
energyfromfossilfuelswouldberequiredandlowercarbondioxideoutputswouldensue.
Whiletheprioritisationoftheuppertiersofthewastehierarchyispositiveinrelationtoalltheenvironmental
objectivestherearehoweverpotentialnegativeimpactssomeofwhichcouldbelongterminrelationtothe
unknown nature of the reuse and recycling activities. There is potential for negative impacts on BFF, Soil,
Water,AQ,CF,MA,CHandLandSfromsuchrecyclingactivities.However,theseimpactswillbeoffsetthrough
the implementation of siting guidelines to ensure that activities are not developed on or close to sensitive
environments.
Policy Action G.1.1: A review of expenditure on lower waste order activities such as street sweeping and
graffiti cleanup will have positive impacts on all of the environmental objectives. Through review of the
financialarrangementtherecanbefurtherbalanceappliedtotheexpendituretoensurethattheuppertiers
ofthewastehierarchysuchaspreventionhaveanadequatebudget.Bypreventingthegenerationofwastein
thefirstinstanceitnegatestheneedforexpenditureatthelowerwasteorderactivities.
Cumulative Impacts: Overall, the impacts will be positive by reducing waste generation at source through
promotionofthehighertiersofthewastehierarchyandavoidingtheneedforlandfillandadditionalfacilities
totreatand/ormanagewaste.
MitigationMeasures:Nonerequired
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
160
[SouthernRegion]
Rollouttheplanforremediatinghistoricclosedlandfillsprioritisingactionstothosesites
whicharethehighestrisktotheenvironmentandhumanhealth
Policy
G.2
Policy
Action
G.2.1
EachRegionistoranktheclassAhighriskhistoricunregulatedlandfillsites(1977–1996)
andprehistoricunregulatedlandfillsites(pre1977).
Policy
Action
G.2.2
EachRegionistodevelopandagreearoadmapprioritisingforinvestigationandremediation
therankedlandfills(takingintoaccountthescaleofriskandimpactsontheenvironment).
Policy
Action
G.2.3
PrepareauthorisationapplicationstotheEPAforlandfillsitesidentifiedinaccordancewith
theroadmapduringthelifetimeofthePlan(subjecttoDepartmentfundingbeingavailable).
Policy
Action
RemediatehighrisksitesinaccordancewiththePlanagreedintheEPAauthorisationandin
G.2.4 accordancewiththerequirementsoftheEUHabitatsDirective&WaterFrameworkDirective
(subjecttofundingbeingavailable).
SEAObjective*
PolicyG.2
PolicyAction
G.2.1
PolicyAction
G.2.2
PolicyAction
G.2.3
PolicyAction
G.2.4
BFF_1
+/
+
+
+
+/
BFF_2
+/
+
+
+
+/
PHH_1
+/
+
+
+
+/
PHH_2
+/
+
+
+
+/
Soil_1
+
+
+
+
+
Water_1
+/
+
+
+
+/
AQ_1
+/
+
+
+
+/
CF_1
+/
+
+
+
+/
MA_1
+
+
+
+
+
MA_2
+
+
+
+
+
CH_1
+
+
+
+
+
LandS_1
+
+
+
+
+
Soc_1
+
+
+
+
+
Discussion
PolicyG.2:TheCodeofPracticeforEnvironmentalRiskAssessmentofUnregulatedWasteDisposalSiteshas
been developed to assist local authorities to comply with the requirements of Section 22 of the Waste
ManagementActs1996to2005.
Thispolicyrecommendationwillensurethatsitesdeemedtobeofhighriskareprioritisedandremediatedto
preventthereleaseofcontaminantsandharmfulsubstancestosensitiveenvironmentalreceptors.
Therearepotentialnegativeimpactssomeofwhichcouldbelongterminrelationtotheunknownnatureof
unregulated closed landfills. There is potential for negative impacts on BFF, PHH, Water and AQ from such
remedialworks.Potentialshorttermnegativeimpactsassociatedwiththispolicymayresultinthemovement
of controlled leachate to receiving water bodies, sensitive peatland habitats through nutrient enrichment
(includingraisedbogs),soils,publicwatersuppliesandthepotentialreleaseofharmfulgasemissionstothe
atmosphere.However,theseimpactswillbeoffsetthroughremediationworkstoensureclosedlandfillsare
notcontinuingtoimpactonreceivingenvironments.
Byfocusingonremediationthispolicywillhaveoverallpositivemediumtolongtermeffectsasitwillseethe
phasing out of negative impacts associated with landfill leachate and associated negative impacts on Soil,
Water, LandS, BFF, CF and PHH. An increase in remediation will have a corresponding positive medium to
longtermimpactonallenvironmentalreceptors.
PolicyActionG.2.1:TheEnvironmentalRiskAssessmentforUnregulatedWasteDisposalSitesCodeOfPractice
issuedbytheEPAinformslocalauthoritiesoftheirobligationsunderSection22oftheWasteManagementAct
to carry out an inventory of all historic unregulated waste disposal sites (landfills). An inventory identifying
sites deemed to be of highest risk (Class A) in each region will have indirect long term positive impacts
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
161
[SouthernRegion]
associatedwiththispolicyactionparticularlyonBFF,PHH,Soil,WaterandLandS.Riskclassificationofsiteswill
have long term positive impacts prioritising those sites of highest risk and preparing a detailed site
investigationprogrammeaswellasinformingsubsequentrecommendationsforremediation.
Policy Action G.2.2: The application of the code of practice for historic unregulated landfills and
implementation of a road map prioritising for investigationand remediation of ranked landfills will result in
bothdirectandindirectpositivelongtermimpacts.Localauthoritiesshalladheretothestepbystepprocess
byfollowingguidelinesissuedbytheEPAincludingtheMethodologyfortheIdentificationofWasteDisposal
and/orRecoverySitesinIrelandandTier1,2,3andChapters3,4,5,7&8ofthemethodologyoutlinedinThe
CodeofPracticeforEnvironmentalRiskAssessmentofUnregulatedWasteDisposalSites.
Policy Action G.2.3: The preparation authorisation applications to the EPA for landfill sites identified in
accordance with the road map will result in positive medium to long term impacts. The approval of any
remediationoptionincludingtheremovalofwasteislikelytobesubjecttoanauthorisationprocedure.Any
remedialworksproposalswillbeassessedinthecontextofSection22oftheWasteManagementActs1996to
2005 as part of the authorisation process and site specific measures will be set out in the licence / permit
conditionsforunregulatedwastedisposalsites(closedlandfills).
Policy Action G.2.4: The remediation of high risk sites will have direct positive longterm impacts. The
objectiveoftheRWMPwillresultinthedeliveryofthosetargetsoutlinedintheconservationobjectivesfor
Natura2000sites.Potentialshorttermnegativeeffectssuchasnegativeimpactsassociatedwiththispolicy
action may result in the movement of controlled leachate to receiving water bodies, sensitive peatland
habitats through nutrient enrichment (including raised bogs), soils, public water supplies and the potential
release of harmful gas emissions to the atmosphere. However, these impacts will be offset through
remediation works to ensure closed landfills are not continuing to impact on receiving environments and
Natura2000sites.
Cumulative Impacts: Overall, the impacts will be positive in relation to ensuring that there is a consistent
approach to the remediation of closed landfill sites that will have positive outcomes on environmental
receptorshavingregardtoBFF,PHH,SoilandWater.
MitigationMeasures:AAScreeningshouldbeundertakenforallTier1,2and3 RiskAssessments.TheLead
Authority shall liaise with relevant stakeholders (including the EPA and NPWS) to ensure an appropriate
measuresareinplaceforcontrolofthespreadofIASinrelationtoremediatinghistoricclosedlandfills.
Policy
G.3
Policy
Action
G.3.1
Ensurethereisaconsistentapproachtotheprotectionoftheenvironmentand
communitiesthroughtheauthorisationoflocationsforthetreatmentofwastes
Preparesitingguidelinesforwastefacilitiesandreviewgeneralsitingcriteriaassetdownin
thewasteplan.
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
SEAObjective*
G.3
G.3.1
BFF_1
+/
+
BFF_2
0
+
PHH_1
+/
+
PHH_2
+/
+
Soil_1
+/
+
Water_1
+/
+
AQ_1
+/
+
CF_1
+/
+
MA_1
+/
+
162
[SouthernRegion]
MA_2
+/
+
CH_1
+/
+
LandS_1
+/
+
Soc_1
0
+
Discussion
PolicyG.3:Theconsiderationoftheenvironmentintheauthorisationofwastefacilitiesiscriticalinrelationto
the potential long term impacts that can be mitigated. A consistent approach in the authorisation of waste
facilitieswillbeassistedbythenewstructureofwastemanagementinIrelandtakingtheformofaregional
approach. The provision of siting guidelines within each RWMP will be vital to assisting with a consistent
approach to the protection of key areas such as BFF, PHH, Soil, Water, AQ, MA, CH and LandS. The siting
guidelinesencompassprinciplesprovidedtoassistdevelopersbutarenottobetakenasastrictinterpretation
ofnationalandEuropeanlegislation,policy,caselaworguidance.Theguidelinescontainspecificsitingcriteria
for five types of facilities including; municipal pretreatment, thermal recovery, biological treatment,
authorisedtreatmentforELVsandconstructionanddemolitionwastefacilities.Inaddition,adetailedlistof
generalcriteriahasbeenoutlinedintheguidelinesforthelocationofallwastefacilitiesnotidentifiedwithin
thefivetypeslisted.
Policy Action G.3.1: Development of siting guidelines (following on from the siting criteria included in the
draftplaninSection16)willhavepositiveimpactsonalloftheenvironmentalobjectives.Itwillbecrucialto
the protection of the environment that along with the lead authority for each Region that both An Bord
Pleanála and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government are involved in the
developmentofthesesitingguidelines.
Cumulative Impacts: Overall the impacts will be positive in relation to ensuring that there is a consistent
approachtotheauthorisationoflocationsforthetreatmentofwastes,butthereisalwaysthepotentialfor
negativeimpactsontheenvironmentfrominfrastructuraldevelopment.
Mitigation Measures: The application of siting criteria will offset the potential shorter term temporary
construction impacts associate with infrastructure. It is recommended that consideration be given to
developing Siting Guidelines in due course to guide development of infrastructure in a sustainable manner
whichprotectstheenvironmentandhumanhealth.
Implementacoordinatedapproachtoaddressunmanagedwasteandthepotentialimpact
totheenvironmentandhumanhealth
Policy
G.4
Policy
Action
G.4.1
Identifyareasoflowcollectioncoverageandsurveyhouseholderswhoarecurrentlynot
availingofahouseholdwastecollectionservicetodeterminethecause.
Policy
Action
G.4.2
Designandimplementaprogrammetoregulate,enforceandcommunicateinareaswithlow
collectioncoverage.
Policy
Action
G.4.3
Engagewithauthorisedwastecollectorstodesignsolutions,suchaspublicdropoffareasto
servecommunities/areasoflowcollectioncoverageandimplementthesolutions.
SEAObjective*
G.4
G.4.1
G.4.2
G.4.3
BFF_1
+
+
+
+
BFF_2
+
+
+
+
PHH_1
+
+
+
+
PHH_2
+
+
+
+
Soil_1
+
+
+
+
Water_1
+
+
+
+
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
163
[SouthernRegion]
AQ_1
+
+
+
+
CF_1
+
+
+
+
MA_1
+
+
+
+
MA_2
+
+
+
+
CH_1
+
+
+
+
LandS_1
+
+
+
+
Soc_1
+
+
+
+
Discussion
Policy G.4: Unmanaged waste is an estimate of waste created by households not availing of a kerbside
collectionservicealthoughitdoestakeaccountofhouseholdswhodelivertheirwastedirectlytolandfillsand
otherbringfacilities.Thequantityreportedin2012,over83,000tonnes,accountsforapproximately15%of
thehouseholdwastegenerated.IthasbeenidentifiedthatintheSouthernRegiontherehasbeenanoverall
decreaseintheamountofhouseholdwastemanagedbetween2010and2012;thisisinlinewiththenational
trendofadecreaseinthequantityofmunicipalwastegeneratedinthesameperiod.Increasedcollectionof
householdwasteintheRegionthroughthekerbsidecollectionsystemswillhaveapositiveimpactincapturing
anincreasingfractionofthewastethathaspreviouslybeenunmanaged.
AcoordinatedapproachbylocalauthoritiesintheRegionandwastecollectorsinaddressingtheunmanaged
householdwastewillhavepositiveimpactsonalloftheenvironmentalobjectives,especiallyBFF,PHH,Soil,
Water, AQ, CF, CH and LandS. It is imperative that unmanaged waste, particularly waste disposed of by fly
tippingandbackyardburning,istackledinacoordinatedmannerreducingenvironmentalimpactsontheland
and reducing the release of harmful pollutants. These unregulated activities pose risks to human health the
scale of which relates to the nature and quantities of the waste disposed and its proximity to sensitive
receptorssuchasawatersupplyorresidentialdevelopments.
PolicyActionG.4.1:ItisestimatedintheSouthernRegionthatthepercentageofhouseholdsnotavailingofan
authorised collection service to be estimated at 33%. In addition, a number of the less densely populated
countieshavegreaterthan45%ofhouseholdsnotavailingofkerbsidecollection.Thepolicyrecommendation
toidentifytheareasoflowcollectioncoveragealongwithsurveyingthehouseholdersastothecausefornot
availing of a collection service will have long termpositive impacts on the environment. Throughthis policy
recommendationthereishighpotentialtodeterminethecauseoftheissuewithhouseholdersandtoincrease
the amount of household waste collected while reducing the figure of unmanaged household waste. This
wouldhavepositiveknockoneffectsforAQandCFreducingthelevelofemissionssuchasPM10anddioxins
releasedtotheatmospherethroughbackyardburning.
PolicyActionG.4.2:Theimplementationofaprogrammetoregulate,enforceandcommunicateinareaswith
lowcollectioncoveragewillhavepositiveimpactsonalltheenvironmentalobjectives.Raisingawarenessand
potentiallychangingindividualsbehaviourtowardshowtheydisposeofhouseholdwastewillhavelongterm
positiveimpactsonBFF,PHH,Water,Soil,AQ,CF,CH,LandSandSoc.
PolicyActionG.4.3:AswithpolicyG.4andpolicyactionsG.4.1andG.4.2therewillbeoverallpositiveimpacts
ontheenvironmentthroughdirectengagementwithwastecollectorstopresentsolutionstolowhousehold
collectioncoverage.
CumulativeImpacts:Positiveeffectsontheenvironmentfrompolicyactionswhichwillstrivetoreducethe
quantitiesofunmanagedhouseholdwaste.
Mitigation Measures Recommendation that policy G.4 be reworded to refer specifically to household
unmanagedwaste.
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
164
[SouthernRegion]
8.3.8 PolicyActionsH–OtherWasteStreams
Policy
H.1
Work with the relevant stakeholders and take measures to ensure systems and facilities
are in place for the safe and sustainable management of sludges (sewage, waterworks,
agricultural, industrial, and septic tank) generated in the region having due regard to
environmental legislation and prevailing national guidance documents, particularly in
relationtotheEUHabitatsandBirdsDirective.
Policy
Action
H.1.1
To engage with Irish Water in relation to national planning and management of WWTP
sludgeandWTPSludge.
Policy
Action
To engage with the water pollution teams of the local authorities to ensure that
environmental legislation and national guidelines are being implemented, including the
H.1.2
inspection plan for the management of Domestic Wastewater Treatment Systems, and to
reviewthemanagementoptionsforthedisposalofseptictanksludge.
Policy
Action
H.1.3
To engage with the NWCPO regarding specific conditions for private waste collectors
collectingseptictankwaste.
SEAObjective*
PolicyH.1
PolicyActionH.1.1
PolicyActionH.1.2
PolicyActionH.1.3
BFF_1
+
+
+
+
BFF_2
0
0
0
0
PHH_1
+
+
+
+
PHH_2
+
+
+
+
Soil_1
+
+
+
+
Water_1
+
+
+
+
AQ_1
+
+
+
+
CF_1
+
+
+
+
MA_1
+
+
+
+
MA_2
+
+
+
+
CH_1
+
+
+
+
LandS_1
+
+
+
+
Soc_1
+
+
+
+
Discussion
PolicyH.1:OverallPolicyH.1isapplyingintegratedcommunicationsonanadministrativelevelwithrelevant
stakeholder groups to ensure appropriate sustainable management of sludges in compliance with relevant
waste legislation having regard to the Water Services Act 2007, Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012,
Sewage Sludge Directive, Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, Water Pollution Act 2007, Waste
ManagementAct1996andWasteManagement(UseofSewageSludgeinAgriculture)Regulations1998.This
policy will have an overall positive medium to longterm positive effects as it will result in effective
communications between stakeholder groups working together to minimise and prevent potential adverse
impacts in relation to water quality and sensitive ecological receptors including designated European sites
(SACsandSPAs).Theprocesswillenablesludgemanagementplanstoaddressthecontrolandmanagementof
sludgeinanenvironmentallysustainableway.
PolicyActionH.1.1:IrelandisnowfullycompliantwithEUsewagesludgepolicy,asoutlinedbytheEPA.Irish
Wateriscurrentlypreparinganationalwastewatersludgemanagementplantoaddressthemanagementand
controlofsludge.StakeholderengagementwithIrishWaterwillresultinpositivemediumtolongtermeffects.
Theprincipalgoalsofthispolicyactionwillallowlocalauthoritiestoprovideaneffectivemethodofpreparing
andimplementingthesludgemanagementplanandtoupdateguidancedocumentsandcodesofpracticewith
regard to the Southern Region. It is noted from the EPA scoping submission that the adoption of new
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
165
[SouthernRegion]
regulations relating to Domestic Waste Water Treatment (DWWTP) maintenance and desludging (S.I.
220/2012 and S.I. 223/2012) will result in large volumes of sludge being evacuated. Currently there is a
national sludge treatment capacity deficit of 50%, and it is noted from the spatial distribution of sludge
treatmentfacilitiesthatthereisalackofsuitableinfrastructure,especiallyalongthewesterncoast.Whilethe
preparation of sludge management plans looks to be within the remit of Irish Water, there is merit in
promotingandsupportingthepreparationandimplementationoftheseplansasappropriatewithinindividual
localauthorities.
Policy Action H.1.2: According to the National Inspection Plan 2013 for domestic waste water treatment
systems,approximatelyonethirdofallhouses(500,000households)inIrelandrelyonanindividualtreatment
systemtotreatanddischargetheirhouseholdwastewater.Stakeholderengagementwiththerelevantwater
pollutionteamswillhavepositivemediumtermimpactsandwillresultinfurtherdevelopingandupdatingthe
InspectionPlanwhichiscurrentlyreviewedatleastonceevery5years.Theprimarypurposeofreviewingthe
inspectionplanwillbetoensurethatthestrategiesimplementedinrelationtomanagementoptionsforthe
disposalofsludgearesuccessfulandeffectiveinprotectinghumanhealthandtheenvironment.
Policy ActionH.1.3:Stakeholder engagement with theNWCPO will have positive medium term effects. This
policy action is directed at collecting septic tank waste and has limited direct impact on environmental
receptorsprovidedwastecollectionfollowsbestpracticeguidelines.
Cumulative Impacts: Positive effects on the safe and sustainable management of sludges with increased
stakeholderengagement.
Policy
H.2
Investigatetheopportunitytoestablishandexpandmanagementschemesforparticular
wastestreamsincluding(butnotlimitedto)paints,medicines,mattresses,otherbulky
wastes,agriculturalandhorticulturalchemicalsandwasteoils(wheretechnically,
environmentally,andeconomicallypracticable).
Policy
Action
H.2.1
Toinvestigatetheviabilityofrunningapilotschemeforthemanagementoffarmmedicines.
Policy
Action
H.2.2
Examinethepossibilityofexpandingexistingreuseschemesinplacethroughouttheregion
forbulkyorhazardouswastestreams(suchasmattressesandpaints).
Policy
Action
H.2.3
TotransferknowledgeandskillsonthesuccessfulschemestoallLA’sinallRegions.
SEAObjective*
PolicyH.2
PolicyActionH.2.1
PolicyActionH.2.2
PolicyAction
H.2.3
BFF_1
+/
+/
+/
+
BFF_2
+
0
0
0
PHH_1
+/
+/
+/
+
PHH_2
+
+
+
+
Soil_1
+/
+/
+/
+
Water_1
+/
+/
+/
+
AQ_1
+/
+
+
+
CF_1
+/
+
+
+
MA_1
+
+
+
+
MA_2
0
0
0
0
CH_1
+/
+/
+/
+
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
166
[SouthernRegion]
LandS_1
+/
+/
+/
+
Soc_1
+
+
+
+
Discussion
PolicyH.2:Theissueofestablishingandexpandingmanagementschemesforwastestreamsincluding(butnot
limited to) paints, medicines, mattresses, other bulky wastes, agricultural and horticultural chemicals and
waste oils (where technically, environmentally, and economically practicable) has long term positive
environmentaleffects.Thesepositiveimpactswillseeareductioninthequantityoftoxicwastesenteringour
waters (ground and surface) and atmosphere, which will have a positive impact on PHH, Water, Soils and
BFF. The requirement to cater for the management of additional waste streams will allow for appropriate
controlmeasurestobeimplementedintheprevention,reuse,recyclingandtreatmentofwastes.However
where prevention/reuse cannot be achieved, the requirement to manage increased waste at recycling or
treatmentfacilitiesmayhavenegativeimpactsonBFF,Water,Soils,AQ,CF,MA,CH,LandSandSoc,through
theunknownnatureofthemanagementschemes.
Policy Action H.2.1: A pilot scheme focusing on management of farm medicines will have overall positive
impactsontheenvironmentasitwouldleadtobettermanagementofthiswastewhichhaspotentialtogive
risetosignificantnegativeimpactsontheenvironmentifnottreatedandmanagedcorrectly.Apilotscheme
willgivethenecessaryevidencebasetoallowsimilarschemestoberolledoutforotherwastestreamssuchas
paintsandmedicines.ThiswouldresultinpositiveimpactsparticularlyonPHH,Soils,Water,AQ,CFandMA
particularlythroughreducedtransport,emissionsandleachategeneration.APilotSchemeofthisnaturemay
alsoreduceillegaldumpingifrolledoutacrosstheRegion.
PolicyActionH.2.2:Thisactionplacesanemphasisonexpandingexistingreuseschemesinplacethroughout
theregionforbulkyorhazardouswastestreams(suchasmattressesandpaints).Thequantityofhousehold
bulkywastecollectedbyauthorisedcollectorsintheSouthernRegionfluctuatedbetween2010and2012.In
2011,39,470tonneswerecollected,thisdecreasedto30,853tonnesin2011butroseto34,627tonnesagain
in2012thereforeanymeasuresputforwardforreducingthequantitiesofbulkywastewithintheRegionare
considered to have an overall positive impact on the environment by reducing quantities of waste going to
landfilloralternativetreatment.
Existing reuse schemes (i.e. SMILE and Free Trade Ireland) are working successfully at improving the
sustainablereuseofresourcesandreducingthequantityofwastegoingtolandfill,thereforetherolloutof
such schemes across other waste streams will have overall positive environmental effects. As with Policy
ActionH.2.1thereisanunknownnatureofthemethodsinvolvedandthereispotentialfornegativeimpacts
ontheenvironmentifqualitycontrolsarenotappliedtotheactivities.
PolicyActionH.2.3:Thisactionachievesoverallpositiveimpactsasitpromotesawarenessofthebenefitsof
reuseschemesacrossallthreeRegions.Consequentlythiswillresultinsignificantcommitmenttoawareness
raisingwithallstakeholdersconcerned.
CumulativeImpacts:Positiveeffectsontheestablishmentofasystemtocaterforadditionalwastestreams
whichotherwisemaynothavebeenmanagedappropriately.
MitigationMeasures:GuidelineswillbedevelopedbytheRegionalPreventionOfficerandappliedtoallsuch
schemestoensureprotectionofhumanhealthandtheenvironment.Inaddition,wastepreventionshouldact
astheoverarchingaimofanyPilotSchemeintroduced.
Policy
H.3
Cooperateandinputintothesettingupofnewnationalproducerresponsibilityschemes
(statutoryorvoluntary)forwastestreamstoensuretheroleoflocalauthoritiesisclear
andcanbepracticallyachieved.
Policy
H.3.1 Participateinworkinggroupsforsettingupofnewnationalproducerresponsibilityschemes.
Action
Policy
H.3.2
Action
Toensurebettersegregationofhazardouswasteandnonhazardouswastesatthepointof
collectionfromhouseholdsandsmallbusinesses.
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
167
[SouthernRegion]
SEAObjective*
PolicyH.3
PolicyH.3.1
PolicyActionH.3.1
BFF_1
+
+
+
BFF_2
0
0
0
PHH_1
+
+
+
PHH_2
+
+
+
Soil_1
+
+
+
Water_1
+
+
+
AQ_1
+
+
+
CF_1
+
+
+
MA_1
+
+
+
MA_2
+
+
+
CH_1
+
+
+
LandS_1
+
+
+
Soc_1
+
+
+
Discussion
Policy H.3: Overall Policy H.3 is introducing the concept of local authority input in establishing any new
nationalproducerresponsibilityschemeforwastestreamstoensuretheroleoflocalauthoritiesisclearand
targetscanbeachieved.Theestablishmentofanewnationalproducerresponsibilityschemewillhavelong
term positive effects. The Waste Management Act 1996 establishes a legislative basis for producer
responsibility initiatives for various waste streams with particular regard to Waste Electrical and Electronic
Equipment (WEEE), packaging, endoflife vehicles (ELVs), tyres, farm plastics and batteries. A new national
producer responsibility scheme would result in the successful contribution of Ireland to meeting its overall
environmentalobjectivesandthediversionofhighvolumesofwastedisposedtolandfills.Thispolicywillhave
overalllongtermpositiveeffectsasitwillresultinthemanagementofwastestreamsinasustainablemanner
andimplementationofthe‘PolluterPaysPrinciple’.
PolicyActionH.3.1:Theparticipationofworkinggroupsforestablishingnewnationalresponsibilityschemes
willhaveoverallmediumtolongtermpositiveeffectsbyassistingtheDepartmentofEnvironmentindrafting
anynewRegulationsforwastestreams.
Policy Action H.3.2: The segregation of hazardous waste from nonhazardous waste will avoid the
contaminationofhazardouswastecomponentswithnonhazardouswastecomponents.Thispolicyactionwill
have a long term positive effects on the environment through ensuring that the hazardous portion of the
wasteiskeptseparateandtreatedinasustainablemanner.
Cumulative Impacts: Positive effects through the establishment of a new national producer responsibility
schemesforvariouswastestreams.
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
168
[SouthernRegion]
9 MITIGATIONANDMONITORING
9.1
INTRODUCTION
Article10oftheSEADirectiverequiresthatmonitoringshouldbecarriedoutinordertoidentifyat
anearlystageanyunforeseenadverseeffectsduetoimplementationoftheRWMP,withtheviewto
taking remedial action where adverse effects are identified through monitoring. A monitoring
programme is developed based on the indicators selected to track progress towards achieving
strategicenvironmentalobjectivesandreachingtargets,enablingpositiveandnegativeimpactson
the environment to be measured. The environmental indicators have been developed to show
changesthatwould,asfaraspossible,beattributabletoimplementationoftheRWMP.
It should be noted that the success of the RWMP in achieving the objectives of the Waste
Framework Directive, will be related to the implementation and prioritisation of the various
elements of the RWMP. For example, education and awareness campaigns, when implemented
correctly, can provide good results, within shorttime frames, for minimal relative monetary
investment.
9.2 SOURCESOFINFORMATIONFORMONITORING
Monitoringwillfocusonaspectsoftheenvironmentthatarelikelytobesignificantlyimpactedby
theRWMP.Wherepossibleindicatorshavebeenchosenbasedontheavailabilityofthenecessary
information and the degree to which the data will allow the target to be linked directly with the
implementation of the RWMP. Table 91 presents the Environmental Monitoring Programme to
track progress towards achieving strategic environmental objectives and reaching targets, and
includessourcesofrelevantinformation.Thisfollowsonfromtheobjectives,targetsandindicators
presentedinChapter6.FromTable91,itcanbeseenthatthemajorityofinformationrequiredis
alreadybeingactivelycollected(undertheRWMPandotherprogrammes),butnotallofthisisbeing
gatheredandreportedonataregionallevel.
9.3 MITIGATIONMEASURES
The Environmental Report has highlighted the more significant potential positive and negative
environmentalimpactsfromtheimplementationofthedraftRWMP(includingcumulativeimpacts).
Themitigationmeasureshavebeenidentifiedtoreducethenegativeimpactsidentified(seeTable
92andTable93).
Through the iterative process of SEA, some mitigation measures have already been incorporated
intothedraftplan.ThishasbeennotedinTable93.
AsnotedinChapter8,asaresultofaproactiveresponsefromtheplanteam,mitigationmeasures
arising from the Appropriate Assessment have all been incorporated into the draft plan through a
combination of wording changes and additional text within the plan. As a result no further
mitigationmeasureshavebeenproposedarisingfromtheAA.
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
169
Target
Indicator
TheStatusofEUProtectedHabitats
and Species in Ireland report.
Published every 6 years, National
Parks&WildlifeService(NPWS)
Source&Responsibility
Financialreturns/annualbudgetfor
localauthoritiestobereportedto
theLeadAuthority
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
170
Historic Landfill Register held by
Number
of
authorisations
granted
LocalAuthorities,
Rollout the plan for remediating historic closed
Obj.5:Soils
forsitestoberemediated.
landfills prioritising actions to those sites which
Historic Landfill Certificate of
Safeguard soil quality and quantity from waste and are the highest risk to the environment and
Number of authorised sites Authorisation Register published by
reducesoilcontamination.
humanhealth
remediatedintheregion.
the Environmental Protection
Agency(EPA)
Waste statistics data from local
Increase the number of households availing of Numberofhouseholdsintheregion authorities,privatewastecollectors,
Obj.4:PopulationandHumanHealth(PHH_2)
kerbside waste collection services prioritising onakerbsidecollection.
leadauthority
Promote and encourage access and services for areaswithexistinglowuptake.
Quantity of unmanaged waste in National Waste Report, published
appropriatewastemanagementforall.
theregion.
annually, Environmental Protection
Agency(EPA)
Totalprevention/reusebudgetper
Protect human health from the impacts of waste Increase expenditure on waste prevention annumineachLocalAuthorityasa
management by ensuring waste prevention and activities (including education, awareness, %oftotalspendonwaste
related activities are promoted at community and trainingetc.)toaminimumof0.15c/inhabitant. management.
individuallevel.
Obj.3:PopulationandHumanHealth(PHH_1)
Obj.2:BiodiversityFloraandFauna(BFF_2)
Audit of progress in the Leadauthority,localauthorities
Ensure mitigation measures from the Southern implementation of mitigation
RWMPSEAandAAarefullyimplementedwithin measures two years post adoption
Integrate biodiversity considerations into the
theplanperiod.
oftheplanandatcompletionofthe
SouthernRWMP.
planperiod.
Majority of habitats or species in, or moving The status of protected habitats
towards,favourableconservationstatus.
and species as reported to the EU
Preserve, protect and maintain the terrestrial,
[BasedonnationalTarget17ofIreland’sAction
(report due every six years, first
aquatic and soil biodiversity, particularly EU and
PlanforBiodiversity20112016].
reportin2007).
nationallydesignatedsitesandprotectedspecies.
Obj.1:BiodiversityFloraandFauna(BFF_1)
StrategicObjective
Table91–EnvironmentalMonitoringProgramme
[SouthernRegion]
No deterioration in water status attributable to
waste.
Target
Water quality in Ireland report,
Environmental Protection Agency
Status of water bodies as reported
(EPA)
bytheEPA.
Historic Landfill Register held by
Number of authorisations granted
LocalAuthorities,
forsitestoberemediated.
Historic Landfill Certificate of
Number of authorised sites
Authorisation Register published by
remediatedintheregion.
the Environmental Protection
Agency(EPA)
Indicator
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
Minimisecontributiontoclimatechangebyreducing
emissions of greenhouse gasses associated with the
preventionandmanagementofwastesandadaptto
the potential effects of climate change through
appropriatesitingofwasteinfrastructure.
Obj.8:ClimaticFactors(CF)
Achievetheperformancetargetofpreparingfor % municipal waste recycled
reuse and recycling rate of 50% of municipal (measurednationally).
wastesby2020.
Quantity of residual kerbside
Reduce to 0% the direct disposal of residual householdwastesentfordisposal.
Number of strategic flood risk
Nonewwastemanagementinfrastructuresited assessments completed for waste
171
Strategic Flood Risk Assessment
Reports, Local Authorities for waste
National Waste Report, published
Agency(EPA)
Achieve1%reductionperannuminthequantity Quantity of household waste Waste statistics data from Local
of household waste generated per capita over generated per capita (measured authorities,privatewastecollectors,
nationally).
Leadauthority
theplanperiod.
Environmental
Focus
on
Enforcement Report in Ireland,
covering a 3 year period, published
every 3 years, Environmental
Reduce exceedances of emission limits to air Number of exceedances relating to ProtectionAgency(EPA)
Obj.7:AirQuality(AQ)
fromwastelicensedfacilities.
air quality and noise at waste RMCEI plans. Local authority, Lead
Minimise emissions of pollutants to air associated Reduction in uncontrolled burning/disposal of licensedfacilities.
authoritiesforwasteenforcement.
withwastemanagement.
waste.
Quantityofunmanagedwaste.
Waste statistics data from Local
authorities,privatewastecollectors,
Lead
authority
for
waste
enforcement
Remediatehigh risk Class Aunregulated landfill
Protect water quality and the water resource from sites(1977–1996)andprehistoricunregulated
wasteactivities.
sites(pre1977)ClassAsites)inaccordancewith
the plan agreed in the EPA authorisation over
thelifeoftheplan.
Obj.6:Water
StrategicObjective
[SouthernRegion]
Target
inareasatriskofsignificantflooding.
Indicator
related infrastructure within the enforcement
region.
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
Promote sustainable management of waste at an
Achievetheperformancetargetofpreparingfor %municipalwasterecycled
individual,community,regionalandnationallevel.
reuse and recycling rate of 50% of municipal (measurednationally).
wastesby2020.
Quantityofresidualkerbside
Obj.13:Social(Soc)
Moreappropriatelydealtwithat
projectlevel.
Achieve1%reductionperannuminthequantity Quantityofhouseholdwaste
of household waste generated per capita over generatedpercapita(measured
theplanperiod.
nationally).
Protect and maintain the national landscape Moreappropriatelydealtwithatprojectlevel.
character.
Obj.12:Landscape(LandS)
Protect places, features, buildings and landscapes of More appropriately dealt with at project (EIA) Moreappropriatelydealtwithat
projectlevel.
cultural,archaeologicalorarchitecturalheritagefrom level.
impactasaresultofwasteactivities.
Obj.11:CulturalHeritage(CH)
Obj.10:MaterialAssets(MA_2)
172
Waste statistics data from Local
authorities,privatewastecollectors,
Lead
authority
for
waste
enforcement
Localauthorities
The
Archaeological
Survey
monitoring programme, Ireland
Buildings at Risk Register, Heritage
CouncilIreland
Record of Monuments & Places,
Department of the Arts, Heritage
andtheGaeltacht(DAHG)
Reduce the level of exports of residual waste Quantityofresidualwasteexported annually, Environmental Protection
Agency(EPA)
Minimise transport impacts of waste management outsidethestate.
annually(Quantifiednationally).
activities.
Obj.9:MaterialAssets(MA_1)
Authorisation of locations in
Prepare siting guidelines based on the siting
planning application files, Lead
criterialaiddownintheplanwithinoneyearof Application of siting guidelines authority, local authorities, DECLG,
Support sustainable waste management activities plan adoption to assist in the sustainable
AnBordPleanála,EPA
throughtheplanningprocess.
without conflicting with environmental protection delivery of necessary waste management
objectives.
infrastructure.
StrategicObjective
[SouthernRegion]
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
StrategicObjective
[SouthernRegion]
Target
Indicator
Reduce to 0% the direct disposal of residual householdwastesentfordisposal.
173
Agency(EPA)
[SouthernRegion]
Table92MitigationMeasuresRelatingtoAssessmentofalternatives(seeChpt7)
Alternative
MitigationMeasure
Section7.2Selfsufficiency
Toaddressthepossibilitythatwasteswouldcontinuetobeexported
despitecapacitycomingonstreaminIreland,astrongcommitmentto
selfsufficiencyandtheproximityprinciplewouldneedtobefactored
intothestrategicapproach.
A Code of Practice shall be prepared for the Preparation for Reuse
sector and this will be rolled out alongside an education and
Section 7.5.3 Resource Efficiency &
awarenesscampaignatthelocalleveltoassistoperatorsindelivering
circularEconomy
apositivesustainableserviceoverall.Registrationofactivitiesshould
alsobeconsidered.
Section
7.5.5
(Collection)
Section
7.5.5
(Backfilling)
An awareness campaign to support the rollout of brown bins is
required.Ongoingreviewofthefeasibilityforindigenouspaper,glass
Infrastructure
andmetalrecyclingcapacityisrequiredaspartoftheoverallstrategy
forselfsufficiencytodetermineifvolumesofwastecouldreasonably
supportsmallerregionalfacilitiesratherthansendingthemforexport.
Future authorisations for backfilling should ensure proper siting of
Infrastructure facilitiesinlinewithappropriatesitingguidance.
Section7.5.10Protection
To mitigate the potential spread of IAS, a qualified ecologist should
undertake survey for IAS before waste is disturbed. A management
plan to ensure IAS are not spread from the site will be developed if
suchspeciesareidentified.Tomitigatethepotentialtoimpactonthe
Natura 2000 network, AA screening shall be carried out before
remediationisundertaken.
Section7.5.11OtherWasteStreams
Anyproposedfacilitiesforthetreatmentofsludgesshouldadhereto
appropriatesitingguidance.
Table93MitigationMeasuresRelatingtoAssessmentofPoliciesandPolicyActions(seeChpt8)
Reference ProposedMitigationMeasure
A.1
A.1.1
Negative impacts associated with Policy A.1 and Policy Action A1.1 relate to possible impacts
associated with siting of infrastructure. While it is acknowledge that the draft plan includes
siting criteria to reduce the negative effects of implementation of the RWMP, it is
recommended that consideration be given to developing Siting Guidelines in due course to
guidedevelopmentofinfrastructureinasustainablemannerwhichprotectstheenvironment
andhumanhealth.
A.2
Anyreviewoffeesandchargesshouldtakeintoaccounthowtheymightindirectlyencourage
unsustainablewastemanagementactivities.
A.3.1
TheuseofKeyPerformanceIndicatorsshouldbeconsideredintheannualreporting.
IncludethefollowingtextinPolicyA.4:…andhavingregardtotheprotectionofhumanhealth
andtheenvironment,particularlytheNatura2000network.
A.4
B.2.2
Whileitisacknowledgethatthedraftplanincludessitingcriteriatoreducethenegativeeffects
ofimplementationoftheRWMP,itisrecommendedthatconsiderationbegiventodeveloping
SitingGuidelinesinduecoursetoguidedevelopmentofinfrastructureinasustainablemanner
whichprotectstheenvironmentandhumanhealth.
PolicyActionB.2.2wouldbenefitfromtheadditionofenvironmentallegislationrelatingtothe
EUHabitatsandBirdsDirectiveandtransposingIrishLegislationtoensureallLocalAuthorities
withintheregionareawareoftheobligationstocarryoutAA.
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
174
[SouthernRegion]
B.4.3
C.1
C.1.1
Policy B.4.3 would benefit from messaging around the impact of waste on society and
ecosystemservicestoraiseawarenessacrosstheregionofwhywastepreventionandproper
managementisvitaltoenvironmentandhumanhealth.
NegativeimpactsassociatedwithPolicyC.1andPolicyActionC1.1relatetopotentialimpacts
associated with reuse and preparing for reuse activities operating outside of any permitting
regime.ACodeofPracticeshouldthereforebepreparedfortheReuseandPreparationforRe
usesectorandthisshouldberolledoutalongsideaneducationandawarenesscampaignatthe
localleveltoassistoperatorsindeliveringapositivesustainableserviceoverall.Registrationof
activitiesshouldalsobeconsidered.
C.2.2
TheCodeofPracticereferencedinC2.2should includereferencetositemanagementforthe
protection of human health and the environment with particular focus on pathways to
groundwaterandsurfacewaterfromstorageofsegregatedmaterials.
C.3
Negative impacts associated with Policy C.3 relate to potential impacts associated with
enterprisesoperatingoutsideapermittingregime.Tooffsettheseimpactsitisrecommended
that a Code of Practice be generated to guide development of enterprises in a sustainable
E1
E2
Future authorisations for pretreatment activities should include an assessment of potential
impacts on the environment. .An AA screening should be completed for all future
authorisations.ItisnotedthatinSection16.4ofthedraftplanthatthereisacommitmentthat
the local authorities in the region will ensure that any project and any associated works,
individually or in combination with other plans or projects, are subject to Appropriate
AssessmentScreening.
E3
E4
NewCAfacilitiesmustincludesitedrainagetocaptureallrunoffinlinewithsitingcriteriain
thedraftPlan.
E6
E8
E11
The text of Policy Recommendation E8 should specifically reference protection of the
environment and public health however it is accepted that there is reference to the siting
guidanceandcriteriainthedraftplanwhichaddresstheissuetoacertainextent.
ItisrecommendedthatpriortoE11beingimplementedafeasibilitystudyisundertakenofthe
permanently or temporarily closed landfills in the region to determine what activities may or
may not be appropriate for consideration at each site based on site and surrounding
sensitivities. It is acknowledged that the Policy Recommendation specifically refers to
considerationoftheNatura2000networkandthisisconsideredpositive.Thefeasibilitystudy
shouldalsoconsiderenvironmentalsensitivitiesunderthewiderenvironmentalscopeofSEA.
E12
The lead authority should liaise with the relevant authorities in Northern Ireland to ensure
thereisamanagementplaninplacetopreventthespreadofIASassociatedwithrepatriationof
waste.ItisfurthernotedthatinSection16.4ofthedraftplanthatthereisacommitmentthat
the local authorities in the region will ensure that any project and any associated works,
individually or in combination with other plans or projects, are subject to Appropriate
AssessmentScreening.Thiswouldapplytosuchrepatriationprojects.
E14
E15
E16
E17
E18
E19
The Lead Authority shall liaise with relevant stakeholders (including the EPA and NPWS) to
ensureanappropriatemeasuresareinplaceforcontrolofthespreadofIASatbackfillingsites.
Thespatialimbalanceinthermalrecoverycapacityshouldbeconsideredaspartofanyfuture
authorisations.Anynewfacilitymustcomplywiththesitingcriteriainthedraftplan.
Siting criteria will be applied to offset any negative effects in relation to siting of potential
facilities.Qualitycontroloftheendproductisrequired.
It is recognised that based on economies of scale, market forces and end market locations,
nationalfacilitiesforprocessingallrecyclablematerialsmaynotbefeasibleandwillneedtobe
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
175
[SouthernRegion]
assessedonacasebycasesituationagainstenvironmental,economicandtechnicalmerits.
E20
Asaminimum,registrationofreuseandpreparingforreuseactivitiesandacodeofpracticeis
requiredtoensurethattheseactivitiesaregiventhetoolsnecessarytocontinueoperationina
safeandsustainablemanner.Continuedpromotionofreuseatindustryandhouseholdlevel.
E21
The standardised approach required under E21 should facilitate ongoing interregional
engagement to ensure maximum oversight of authorised and operational capacity on a
regionalandnationallevel.
SitingofanynewfacilitiesshouldhaveregardtothesitingcriteriacontainedintheRWMP.
E22–E25
ConsiderationshouldalsobegiventoextendingthescopeofwastestreamsincludedinthePRIs
toincludecateringandfoodwaste.
F.1
Resultsonmonitoringshouldbedocumentedannually.TheuseofKeyPerformanceIndicators
shouldbeconsideredinreportingthemonitoringresults
F.2
ResultsonmonitoringshouldbedocumentedannuallyintheRMCEIplanandtheuseofKPIs
shouldbeconsideredinreportingofthemonitoringresults.TheRMCEIshouldcontainspecific
criteriatoaddressthemanagementofwastewhichinturnshouldinformtheinspections.
F.3
TheproposedActionPlantoaddresswastearisingfromcriminalactivityshouldbepreparedin
consultationwithvariousstakeholdersincludingtheNPWS,GSI,Gardaíetc.Responsibilitiesfor
implementingtheActionPlanandmonitoringrequirementstoassessitsimplementationwillbe
criticaltoitssuccess.
F.4
Standardmandatoryconditionsandlocaldiscretionaryconditionsshouldconsiderinclusionof
screeninginrelationtobothEIAandAAprocesses.
G.1
PotentialnegativeimpactsassociatedwithPolicyG.1willbeoffsetthroughtheimplementation
of siting guidance to be generated to guide development of infrastructure in a sustainable
G.2
AAScreeningshouldbeundertakenforallTier1,2and3RiskAssessments.TheLeadAuthority
shallliaisewithrelevantstakeholders(includingtheEPAandNPWS)toensureanappropriate
measuresareinplaceforcontrolofthespreadofIASinrelationtoremediatinghistoricclosed
landfills.
G.3.1
The application of sitingcriteria will offset the potentialshorter term temporaryconstruction
impacts associate with infrastructure. It is recommended that consideration be given to
developing Siting Guidelines in due course to guide development of infrastructure in a
sustainablemannerwhichprotectstheenvironmentandhumanhealth.
G.4
Recommendation that policy G.4 be reworded to refer specifically to household unmanaged
waste.
H.2.1
H.2.2
GuidelineswillbedevelopedbytheRegionalPreventionOfficerandappliedtoallsuchschemes
to ensure protection of human health and the environment. In addition, waste prevention
shouldactastheoverarchingaimofanyPilotSchemeintroduced.
ThedraftRWMPhasincludedthemajorityofthemitigationproposedabove.Itisnotedoneofthe
mostsignificantinfluencesoftheSEA/AAonthedraftplanhasbeentheinclusionofsitingcriteria
to assist in the proper planning and development of future waste facilities. Siting of waste
managementfacilitiescanbeacomplicatedprocessandisacriticallyimportantstepintheplanning
anddevelopmentofanysite.Asaminimumthesitingcriteriasetoutinthedraftplan(seebelow)
must be followed. The proper siting of facilities will ensure the impact on communities, the
environmentandimportanthabitatscanbeminimised,managedandmitigated.
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
176
[SouthernRegion]
SitingCriteria
Ingeneralthelocationofwastefacilitiesneedstoconsiderthefollowing:

Avoid siting waste infrastructure or related infrastructure in areas protected for landscape
andvisualamenity,geology,heritageandorculturalvalue.
Avoid siting waste infrastructure or related infrastructure in Natura 2000 sites including
Special Protection Areas (SACs) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs); Avoid siting waste
infrastructureorrelatedinfrastructureinproposedNaturalHeritageAreas(pNHAs),Natural
HeritageAreas(NHAs),StatutoryNatureReserves,RefugesforFaunaandAnnexIhabitats
Undertake Appropriate Assessment Screening for all waste related activities requiring
development consent e.g. new infrastructure, waste authorisation applications or reviews
(CoR,WFP,andLicences);
Where a project is likely to have a significant effect on a Natura 2000 site or there is
uncertaintywithregardtoeffects,undertakefullAppropriateAssessment;
To prevent the spread of Invasive Alien Species (IAS), undertake an IAS survey of any
prospective sites. If found preventative measures include ensuring that good site hygiene
practicesareemployedforthemovementofmaterialsinto,outofandaroundthesiteand
ensuringthatimportedsoilisfreeofseedsandrhizomesofkeyinvasiveplantspecies;
In order to protect habitats which, by virtue of their linear and continuous structure (e.g.
riversandtheirbanks)ortheircontributionassteppingstones(e.g.pondsorsmallwoods),
areessentialforthemigration,dispersalandgeneticexchangeofwildspecies,avoidtheloss
ordisruptiontosuchfeatures;
Ensure that no development, including clearance and storage of materials, takes place
within a minimum distance of 1015m measured from each bank of any river, stream or
watercourseasspecifiedintheCDParea;
Ensure a Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS) is applied to any development and that site
specific solutions to surface water drainage systems are developed, which meet the
requirements of the Water Framework Directive and associated River Basin Management
Plans;
Avoid development of waste management infrastructure in flood risk areas. Reference
shouldbemadetothePlanningSystemandFloodRiskManagementforPlanningAuthorities
(DoEHG/OPW 2009) and the National Flood Hazard Mapping (OPW) while referring to the
relevantFloodRiskManagementPlan(FRMP);ThecurrentCFRAMprocesswillalsobetaken
toinaccount.
Toensureriparianbufferzonesarecreatedbetweenallwatercoursesandanydevelopment
foraminimumof15m,tomitigateagainstfloodrisk.Theextentofthesebufferzonesshall
be determined in consultation with a qualified ecologist and following a Flood Risk
Assessment.Anyhardlandscapingproposalsshallbelocatedoutsideofthesebufferzones;
ConsultationisrecommendedtotakeplacewithInlandfisheriesIrelandandNationalParks
andWildlifeservices.
Thegeologicalandhydrogeologicalconditionsintheareaandavoidgeologicallyunsuitable
areas including karst where practicable, and areas susceptible to subsidence or landslides.
Dueconsiderationshouldbegiventotheprimarywatersourceoftheareaandthedegree
ofsurfacewater/groundwaterinteractionincludingtidalinfluences;and
Impact from a transport perspective to be assessed including road access, network, safety
and traffic patterns to and from the proposed facility in accordance with road design
guidelinesand/orrelevantLAguidelinesinrelationtoroads.
[MDR0998Rp0012_F01]
177
[SouthernRegion]

While there is many existing closed or not yet opened landfills these could be used for
alternatives waste activities as they are considered brownfield sites also suitably zoned
otherbrownfieldsitescouldbeusedforalternativewasteactivities.
Sites that offer the opportunities to integrate differing aspects of waste processing will be
preferredchoices.Thiswillensuremaximumefficiencyofwasteprocessing.
Thelocalauthoritiesintheregionrecognisetheimportanceofprovidingfacilityspecificguidelines
and intend to develop and review such guidelines over the course of the plan, see policy action
G.3.1.
9.4
CONCLUSION
The RWMP does not include reference to specific plans, programmes, projects or technologies;
therefore it is not possible to predict site specific impacts or provide detailed quantification of
predicted impacts. At this strategic level, a predominantly qualitative assessment has been
undertakenfocusingonachievementofenvironmentalprotectionobjectives.
FollowingareviewofthefirstdrafttextfortheRWMP,theSEAandAAteamproposedamendments
tothetext.TheRWMPteamhasincorporatedthemajorityoftheseamendmentstothefinaldraft
version of the text of the RWMP. The objectives and actions within the RWMP promote the
protection of the environment, human health and the Natura 2000 network ensuring that
environmentalconsiderationshavebeenintegratedintothePlan.
The development of any new waste facilities will comply with a set of siting criteria, which are
include in the plan. In addition, both existing and new facilities are required to comply with the
environmentalprotectioncriteriasetoutthewasteandIPPClicensingsystem.
Many of the actions within the draft RWMP relate to coordination of resources within and across
regions, education and awareness and prevention initiatives. It is considered that these areas in
particularofferthegreatestpotentialforprotectionoftheenvironmentandhumanhealthandas
such,thedraftplanswillresultinabroadlypositiveimpactontheenvironment.Potentialnegative
impacts have been identified, particularly in relation to provision of infrastructure. To offset this
impact, siting criteria have bene developed and integrated into the plan with a commitment to
follow up with siting guidelines. This will contribute significantly to avoiding and or reducing
associatednegativeimpacts.
InlinewiththeamendedtextoftheRWMP,allplans/projectsarisingfromthepolicyactionsand
recommendationswillberequiredtocarryoutScreeningforAppropriateAssessmentscreeningas
requiredundertheHabitatsDirective.
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178
[SouthernRegion]
10 NEXTSTEPS
There is still some important work to complete before this Southern RWMP is adopted. This will
include some further technical and scientific planning work as well as recording, assessing and,
where appropriate, taking on board comments received during consultations on the draft Plan,
Strategic Environmental Assessment and Appropriate Assessment. The next step in the SEA and
RWMPprocesswillbeaneighttotenweekconsultationperiod.Duringthistimecommentonthe
findingsoftheEnvironmentalReport,theNaturaImpactReportandthecontentofthedraftRWMP
maybesubmittedforconsideration.Table101outlinestheremainingstepsinthisprocess.
Table101RemainingStepsintheRWMP,SEAandAAprocesses
Milestone
StrategicEnvironmental
RegionalWasteManagementPlan AssessmentandAppropriate
Assessment
Date
PublicationofdraftRegional
WasteManagementPlan
PublicationofEnvironmental
ReportandNaturaImpactReport
Endofstatutoryconsultation
Endofstatutoryconsultation
Reviewofsubmissionsand
preparationofSEAStatement
EndJantoMarch2015
amendmentstoRWMP
preparationofSEAStatement
EndMarchtoApril2015
AdoptionofRWMP
n/a
EndMarchtoApril2015
PublicationoffinalRWMP
PublicationofSEAStatement
18.11.14
Week4Jan2015
(min8weeksconsultation)
Written submissions or observations are now invited with respect to the draft Southern Regional
Waste Management Plan, associated Environmental Report and Natura Impact Report. Written
submissionsshouldbeforwardedfortheattentionofRegionalWasteCoordinatoronorbefore30th
January 2015 (contact details below). Comments can also be sent via email to:
rwmo@limerickcoco.ie. These submissions / observations will be taken into consideration before
finalisationoftheRWMP.Earlyresponseswouldbeappreciatedtoallowmoretimetoclarifyand
resolveissuesthatmayarise.
RegionalWasteCoordinator
SouthernRegionWasteManagementOffice
LimerickCountyCouncil,LissanaltaHouse
Dooradoyle,
CountyLimerick
Email:rwmo@limerickcoco.ie
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179
APPENDIX A
Thestatutoryobjectiveofthewastemanagementplansistopreventorminimisetheproductionandharmfulnatureof
waste,encourageandsupporttherecoveryofwaste,ensurethatsuchwastewhichcannotbepreventedorrecoveredis
safelydisposedof,andaddresstheneedtogiveeffecttothepolluterpaysprinciple,inrelationtowastedisposal.
In2014,theEPApublishedthethirdgenerationofnationalhazardouswastemanagementplans.Theplansetsoutthe
prioritiestobepursuedoverthe6yearlifetimeoftheplanandbeyondtoimprovethemanagementofhazardouswaste
in Ireland. The priority actions include the prevention of waste; improving collection rates for certain categories of
hazardous wastes; steps required to improve Ireland’s selfsufficiency in hazardous waste management and the
continued identification and regulation of legacy issues (e.g. the assessment and remediation of historic unregulated
wastedisposalsites).Thekeytothesuccessoftheplaniseffectiveimplementationandthewasteregions(andlocal
authoritieswithinthese)willhavearoletoplaytodeliverontheactionssetsout.
WasteManagementPlan
NationalHazardousWaste
ManagementPlan
LitterManagementPlans(LAlevel)
Under the Litter Pollution Act, 1997, each local authority is required to adopt a litter management plan (LMP). The
legislationprescribesthespecificminimumcomponentsofaLMP,requiringinformationonlitterpreventionandcontrol
activitiesandthesettingofappropriateobjectivesandtargetsforthethreeyearperiodcoveredbythePlan.
The Fingal Sludge Management Plan which was published in 2013 details proposals for dealing with nonhazardous
sludges arising in Fingal from a number of sources, including Agriculture, Industry, Water Treatment and Wastewater
Treatment.
Sludge management plans address the management and control of waste water sludge in a progressive and
IncludingFingalSludgeManagement environmentallysustainablewayandadviseonthemostappropriatemeansofmanagingsewagesludgearisingwithin
eachcountyorcity.Plansconsidersludgequalityandquantities,availabilityofsuitablelandforreuse,allreuseoptions,
Plan2013
storageandtransportation.
Therx3marketdevelopmentprogrammewasestablishedwiththeaimofdevelopingandsupportingendmarketsfor
recyclables in Ireland to create more selfsufficient and sustainable solutions to the treatment of waste
materials/resources.
rx3MarketDevelopment
Programme
SludgeManagementPlans(LAlevel)
ThisestablishesaroadmaponhowIrelandwillmoveawayfromoverdependenceonlandfillbyputtinginplacethemost
appropriatetechnologiesandapproachestoreducewaste,whileatthesametimemaximisingtheresourcesthatthat
canberecoveredfromwaste.
AResourceOpportunity
NationalWastePrevention
Towards a Resource Efficient Ireland A National Strategy to 2020 this document provides a strategy from the EPA
ProgrammeandTowardsaResource aroundthevision:"LivingBetter,UsingLess".IncorporatingIreland’sNationalWastePreventionProgramme,itsetsout
EfficientIreland
prioritiesforpreventingwastageandunnecessaryconsumptionofmaterials,energyandwater.
Description
Title
RelationshipwithOtherKeyPlans/Programmes/EnvironmentalProtectionObjectives
Waste
Water
Thelackofalivenationalregisterofauthorisedwastefacilities,includingtheirtreatmentcapacities,isanongoingdata
gapfortheState.TheEPApublishedareportinApril2014entitled“NationalMunicipalWasteRecovery
NationalMunicipalWasteRecovery
Capacity
TheNationalStrategyonBiodegradableWastewaspublishedinApril2006andsetoutmeasurestoprogressivelydivert
biodegradable municipal waste from landfill in accordance with the agreed targets in EUDirective1999/31/ECon the
landfillofwaste.
TheflagshipinitiativeforaresourceefficientEuropeprovidesalongtermframeworkforactionsinmanypolicyareas,
supporting policy agendas for climate change, energy, transport, industry, raw materials, agriculture, fisheries,
biodiversityandregionaldevelopment.
Thisreportlooksatoptionsformanagingsludgefromseptictanks(2014).
Thisdocumentsetthefollowingambitioustargetsforachievementoverafifteenyeartimescale:adiversionof50%of
overallhouseholdwasteawayfromlandfill;aminimum65%reductioninbiodegradablemunicipalwastesconsignedto
landfill; materials recycling of 35% of municipal waste; recovery of at least 50% ofconstruction and demolition waste
withinafiveyearperiod,withaprogressiveincreasetoatleast85%overfifteenyears,andrationalisationofmunicipal
wastelandfills,withprogressiveandsustainedreductionsinnumbers,leadingtoanintegratednetworkofsome20orso
stateoftheartfacilitiesincorporatingenergyrecoveryandhighstandardsofenvironmentalprotection.
ThisistheEUactionplanonfloodriskmanagementtoimproveprotectionagainstflooding.TheCommissionproposesa
number of actions. These include flood risk management plans for affected river basins and coastal zones, flood risk
maps showing the areas at risk of flooding, coordination of information exchange, ensuring the contribution of all
relevantEUpoliciesandincreasingpublicawareness.
The“Blueprint”outlinesactionsthatconcentrateonbetterimplementationofcurrentwaterlegislation,integrationof
NationalStrategyonBiodegradable
Waste
AresourceefficientEurope–
FlagshipinitiativeoftheEurope
2020Strategy
StriveReport:STRIVE123
ManagementOptionsforthe
Collection,TreatmentandDisposal
ofSludge
ChangingourWays(1998)
TheEUFloodActionProgramme:
FloodriskmanagementFlood
prevention,protectionand
mitigation/*COM/2004/0472final
ABlueprinttoSafeguardEurope's
Capacity” as requested by the DECLG in ‘A Resource Opportunity –WasteManagement Policy in Ireland’(2012). The
CapacityRegister,created as part of this assessment, represents a start atcapturing the diversityof facilities that are
authorisedtotreatandpretreatwastegeneratedfromamunicipalsourcealongwithcreatingalogforIreland’swaste
infrastructure. The EPA made a number of recommendations in this report and in particular notes that there is no
completenationalregisterofwastefacilitypermitsandCertificatesofRegistrationauthorisedbyLocalAuthoritiesinthe
State. Acentral electronic reporting system for waste facility permitannual returns is the next logical step forshared
services for waste data collection and would be of significant benefit to the State for waste planning and reporting
purposes.
Description
Title
SustainableDevelopment(inc.
PopulationandHumanHealth)
waterpolicyobjectivesintootherpolicies,andfillingthegapsinparticularasregardswaterquantityandefficiency.The
objectiveistoensurethatasufficientquantityofgoodqualitywaterisavailableforpeople'sneeds,theeconomyand
theenvironmentthroughouttheEU.
TheplanssummarisethewaterbodiesthatmaynotmeettheenvironmentalobjectivesoftheWFDby2015andidentify
which pressures are contributing to the environmental objectives not being achieved. The plans describe the
classification results and identify measures that can be introduced in order to safeguard waters and meet the
environmentalobjectivesoftheWFD.
TheWaterFrameworkDirectiveMonitoringProgrammecoversrivers,lakesandgroundwateraswellastransitionaland
coastalwaters.TheobjectiveoftheWFDistopreventanyfurtherdeteriorationinstatusofsurfacewaters,groundwater
and water dependent ecosystems and to restore polluted waterbodies to at least “good status” by 2015. The WFD
monitoringprogrammesareanintegralpartofthenewmanagementstrategyforwatertomeetthisobjective.
TheWaterServicesInvestmentProgrammerelatestotheprovisionofmajorwaterandwastewaterschemes(projects
over 1 million euro) to meet key environmental and economic objectives. It is operated as a rollingthree year
programme.
DraftObjectivesfortheWSSP:
WaterResources/*
COM/2012/0673final
RiverBasinManagementPlans
20092014
WaterFrameworkDirective
MonitoringProgramme
WaterServicesInvestment
Programme
WaterServicesStrategicPlan(being
developedbyIrishWater)
ThegoaloftheEUstrategyforsustainabledevelopmentistoimprovethequalityoflifeonearthofbothpresentand
future generations. In particular, it is intended to ensure that economic growth, environmental protection and social
integrationgohandinhand.Thereare7keytargetareas:climatechangeandcleanenergy,sustainabledevelopmentof
the transport sector, sustainable consumption and production, conservation and management of natural resources,
public health, global challenges relating to poverty and sustainable development, and finally social inclusion,
demographyandmigration.
TheRenewedEUSustainable
DevelopmentStrategy2006
The EU Environment and Health Objectivesseektopreventandreducetheimpactsofpollutiononhumanhealth.
Strategy20042010(firstperiod)
ObjectivesseektomakethefuturedevelopmentoftheEUmoresustainable.
TheSixthEnvironmentalAction
Programme(EAP)oftheEuropean
Community20022012
IrishWaterpublishedtheirWaterServicesStrategicPlanIssuesPaperinJuly2014,whichoutlinesthe6objectivesfor
thePlanandthechallengesandissuesfaced.
Meetingcustomerexpectations;Ensuringasafeandreliablewatersupply;Providingeffectiveremovalofwastewater;
Protectingtheenvironment;Supportingfuturesocialandeconomicgrowth;Investinginourfuture.
Description
Title
The NSS is a 20 year planning framework to guide policies, programmes and investment in the interest of delivering
balancedsocial,economicandphysicaldevelopmentandpopulationgrowthbetweentheregionsisalsotobereplaced
withnewproposalswhichwillbebetterresourced,howeverdetailsofthereplacementhavenotyetbeenpublishedby
theGovernment.Anewnationalspatialplanningisexpectedin2015.
Our Sustainable Future takes account of developments at international and EU level designed to deliver an effective
transition to an innovative, low carbon and resource efficient future. It has followed the model used in the EU
Sustainable Development Strategy, which focuses on identifying key gaps where progress has been limited since the
1997NationalSustainableDevelopmentStrategyanditaimstosetoutarangeofmeasurestoaddresstheoutstanding
challenges.Itsetsout70measuresthatwillensureweimproveourqualityoflifeforcurrentandfuturegenerationsand
sets out clear measures, responsibilities and timelines in an implementation plan. These include areas such as the
sustainabilityofpublicfinancesandeconomicresilience,naturalresources,agriculture,climatechange,transport,public
health,education,innovationandresearch,skillsandtraining,andglobalpoverty.
NationalSpatialStrategy20022020
(2002)
OurSustainableFuture–A
FrameworkforSustainable
DevelopmentinIreland(2012)
ObjectivesaretoensurethatfuturedevelopmentinIrelandoccursinasustainablemanner.
SustainableDevelopment:A
Ireland20092020
ThisisanActionPlandevelopedbytheGovernmentanddesignedtoshowhowwecanreversecurrentunsustainable
transportandtravelpatterns,reducethehealthandenvironmentalimpactsofcurrenttrendsandimproveourqualityof
life.Itsetsoutfivekeygoals:toreduceoveralltraveldemand;tomaximisetheefficiencyofthetransportnetwork;to
reduce reliance on fossil fuels; to reduce transport emissions; and to improve accessibility to transport. In order to
achieve these goals the policy establishes targets, outlines the forty nine actions to be undertaken and details the
funding which must be secured. It will be the role of the Framework to secure the funding necessary to continue to
implementkeyremainingactions.
The National Development Plan (20072013) has essentially been superseded by a revised capital programme; the
‘Infrastructure and Capital Investment 20122016 Medium Term Exchequer Framework’. This Capital Investment
Frameworkwasseekingtoaddressthechangedfiscalandbudgetarysituationinthecountryresultinginreducedcapital
spendingoverthemediumterm.ThereforemanyoftheNationalDevelopmentPlan’smajorapprovedtransportcapital
projects,suchastheMetroNorthandDARTunderground,weredeferredindefinitely,whileprioritywithinconsiderably
reducedresourceswasgiventoeducation,healthcareandjobcreationinfrastructureprojects.
SmarterTravelASustainable
TransportFutureAnewTransport
Policyfor
(‘InfrastructureandCapital
Investment20122016Medium
TermExchequerFramework’)
NationalDevelopmentPlan
NationalSustainableDevelopment
TheaimforIrelandoutlinedintheSustainableDevelopmentStrategy(1997)is"toensurethateconomyandsocietyin
Strategy(1997)andMakingIreland's Irelandcandeveloptotheirfullpotentialwithinawellprotectedenvironment,withoutcompromisingthequalityofthat
DevelopmentSustainable(2002)
environment and with responsibility towards present and future generations and the wider international community".
Thesubsequentreportin2002“MakingIreland'sDevelopmentSustainable”wasafiveyearreviewoftheoriginal1997
Strategy.TheoveralltenetoftheStrategyistobalanceeconomicgrowthwithacontinuedcommitmenttopromoting
environmentalquality.
Description
Title
NaturalandBuiltHeritage(Cultural,Architecturaland
ArchaeologyHeritage)
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a statutory role in coordinating environmental research. The
EPA'sSTRIVE research programme has a strong focus on policy and has been driven by national regulations and
EuropeanDirectives.PolicyrelatedresearchplaysavitalroleinensuringthatEuropeanUnion(EU)andnationalpolicies
areimplementedinthemostcosteffectivemanner.TheSTRIVEProgrammeconsistsofthreekeypillars;water,climate
andsustainability.
MakingIreland’sDevelopmentSustainableisaboutreviewingtheprogressIrelandhasmade,assessingthatprogressand
setting out directions for future action. It draws on a range of sources , including the EPA ’s Millennium State of the
Environment Report (2000), the OECD Environmental Performance Review: Ireland (2000) and the EPA’s recently
publishedEnvironmentinFocus(2002).
Description
TheConventionprovidesfortheidentification,conservationandpreservationofculturalandnaturalsitesofoutstanding
universal value for inclusion in a world heritage list. The World Heritage status is a non statutory designation and no
additionalstatutorycontrolsresultfromthisdesignation.HowevertheimpactofproposeddevelopmentuponaWorld
HeritageSitewillbeakeymaterialconsiderationindeterminingplanningapplications.
This Policy in tandem with the Government’s policy “Building Ireland’s Smart Economy: A Framework for Sustainable
Economic Renewal” sets out a number of priorities and actions that the Government will be taking in the short and
medium term. Key elements include investment in research and development, a focus on coordinated “forward
planning” and investment in renewable energy together with the promotion of the green enterprise sector and the
creationofjobs.
The convention promotes the protection, management and planning of European landscapes and organises European
GovernmentPolicyonArchitecture
2009–2015TowardsaSustainable
Future:DeliveringQualitywithinthe
BuiltEnvironment
EuropeanLandscapeConvention
ObjectiveistostrengthenandpromotepoliciesfortheconservationanddevelopmentofculturalheritageinEurope.
The 1992 European Convention on the Protection of Archaeological Heritage was ratified by Ireland in 1997. The
convention provides the basic framework for policy on the protection of the archaeological heritage. This protection
shouldbereflectedintownandcountryplanninganddevelopmentpolicies.
TheWorldHeritageConvention
ConventionfortheProtectionofthe
ArchitecturalHeritageofEurope
(Granada1985)
EuropeanConventiononthe
ProtectionoftheArchaeological
Heritage1997
ConventionfortheProtectionofthe ObjectiveistoprotectthearchaeologicalheritageasasourceoftheEuropeancollectivememoryandasaninstrument
Archaeological Heritage of Europe forhistoricalandscientificstudy.
(revised)(Valletta1992)
EPASTRIVEReport
MakingIreland’sDevelopment
Sustainable2002
StrategyforIreland(1997)(DEHLG)
Title
Air
Landscape&Visual
Quality
ThecoreobjectiveistoprotectandenhanceIreland’sheritage.ThePlansetsoutaclearandcoherentstrategyforthe
protectionandenhancementofourheritagethatshouldbeappliedbyallbodieswhenundertakingadevelopment.An
aimofthisNationalPlanistoenhancetheroleofLocalAuthoritiesinheritageprotectionandmanagement.
Thestrategyestablishesobjectivesforairpollutionandproposesmeasuresforachievingthemby2020:modernisingthe
existinglegislation,placingtheemphasisonthemostharmfulpollutants,andinvolvingtoagreaterextentthesectors
andpoliciesthatmayhaveanimpactonairpollution.
Objective is to set out for all concerned parties the basic principles and approaches for the protection of the
archaeologicalheritage.
The core objective of this framework is to manage the rapid expansion of housing provision so as to ensure a quality
livingenvironmentforhouseholdersandlocalcommunities.
The convention promotes the protection, management and planning of European landscapes and organises European
cooperationonlandscapeissues.
Currentlyatdraftconsultationstage.ThisstrategyisthemeansbywhichtheState,workingincooperationwithpublic
authorities,stakeholders,communitiesandindividuals,willprovideaframeworkfortheprotectionofthemanycultural,
social,economicandenvironmentalvaluesembeddedinthelandscape.TheobjectivesofthisStrategyaretoestablish
and implement policies through a series of actions, aimed at understanding, managing, protecting and planning our
landscape.Itsetsoutspecificmeasurestointegrateandembedlandscapeconsiderationsinallsectorswhichinfluence
thelandscapeandimproveandenhancethequalityofdecisionmakingbythosewhohaveanimpactonit.
ThenewCleanAirProgrammeforEuropecontainsmeasurestoensurethatexistingtargetsaremetintheshortterm,
andnewairqualityobjectivesfortheperiodupto2030.
Thestrategyestablishesobjectivesforairpollutionandproposesmeasuresforachievingthemby2020:modernisingthe
existinglegislation,placingtheemphasisonthemostharmfulpollutants,andinvolvingtoagreaterextentthesectors
andpoliciesthatmayhaveanimpactonairpollution.
Thiscommunicationisthelongterm,strategicandintegratedpolicyadvicetoprotectagainstsignificantnegativeeffects
ofairpollutiononhumanhealthandtheenvironment.
ThematicStrategyonairpollution
{SEC(2005)1132}{SEC(2005)1133}
/*COM/2005/0446final
FrameworkandPrinciplesforthe
ProtectionoftheArchaeological
Heritage(1999)
HousingPolicyFramework:Building
SustainableCommunities,2005
EuropeanLandscapeConvention
ANationalLandscapeStrategyfor
Ireland20142024
ACleanAirProgrammeforEurope
ThematicStrategyonairpollution
{SEC(2005)1132}{SEC(2005)1133}
TheCleanAirforEurope(CAFE)
Programme:TowardsaThematic
StrategyforAirQualityCOM(2001)
245
cooperationonlandscapeissues.
Description
NationalHeritagePlan2006
Title
Climate
The National Programme on transboundary pollutants, which the Government approved in 2005, provides for the
progressivereductionoftheseemissions,(sulphurdioxide,nitrogenoxides,ammoniaandvolatileorganiccompounds),
throughausageofpoliciesandmeasuresindifferentsectorsincludingthewastesector.
TheProtocolaimstoprovideforthecontrolandreductionofemissionsofPOPssoastoprotecthumanhealthandthe
environment from adverse effects. The Protocol lists 16 substances that have been targeted according to agreed risk
criteria.
The Stockholm Convention on POPs is a global treatythat aimsto protect human health and the environment from
POPs. The Convention includes several requirements in the control of POPs including banning or restricting the
production,use,importandexportofPOPsandmeasurestoreduceandoreliminatetheirreleases.TheConventionalso
containsobligationsregardingwastescontainingPOPsincludingarequirementtodestroyorirreversiblytransformthe
POPcontentofwastes.Therearecurrently22POPsthatarecontrolledundertheConvention.
The NIP is an assessment of POPs in Ireland and details the measures put in place to protect human health and the
environmentfromthePOPslistedundertheConvention.ThePlanalsooutlinesfurtheractivitieswhichwillbecarried
outtosupportthecontrolofPOPs.
Airqualityplansmustbeproducedandimplementedwhereitisconsideredthatpollutantthresholdsmaybeexceeded.
ObjectivesseektoalleviatetheimpactsofclimatechangeandreduceglobalemissionsofGHGsthroughlegallybinding
targetssetfor37industrialisedcountries.
NationalProgrammefor
TransboundaryPollutants2005
UNECEAarhusProtocolon
PersistentOrganicPollutants
StockholmConventiononPersistent
OrganicPollutants
NationalImplementationPlanon
POPs2012
AirQualityManagementPlans(LA
level)
UNKyotoProtocolTheUnited
NationsFrameworkConventionon
ClimateChange(UNFCCC)Kyoto
Protocol,1997
Acomprehensivepackageofpolicymeasurestoreducegreenhousegasemissions.EachoftheEUMemberStateshas
alsoputinplaceitsowndomesticactionsthatbuildontheECCPmeasuresorcomplementthem.
ThemissionofRoadmap2050istoprovideapractical,independentandobjectiveanalysisofpathwaystoachievealow
carboneconomyinEurope.TheRoadmapfocusesonestablishingEUpolicytocuttotalgreenhousegasemissionsby80
95%(comparedto1990levels)by2050.TheNationalLowCarbonRoadmapwillbecoordinatedbytheDepartmentof
theEnvironment,CommunityandLocalGovernment
Europe2020istheEuropeanUnion’stenyeargrowthandjobsstrategythatwaslaunchedin2010.Fiveheadline
SecondEuropeanClimateChange
Programme(ECCPII)2005
LowCarbonEconomyRoadmap
Europe2020Strategy
EUstrategyonadaptationtoclimate The strategy aims to make Europe more climateresilient. By taking a coherent approach and providing for improved
change
coordination,itwillenhancethepreparednessandcapacityofallgovernancelevelstorespondtotheimpactsofclimate
change.
Description
Title
TheflagshipinitiativeforaresourceefficientEuropeprovidesalongtermframeworkforactionsinmanypolicyareas,
supporting policy agendas for climate change, energy, transport, industry, raw materials, agriculture, fisheries,
biodiversityandregionaldevelopment.
ThisWhitePapersetsoutaframeworktoreducetheEU’svulnerabilitytotheimpactofclimatechange.
TheNationalClimateChangeAdaptationStrategysetsouthowIrelandistomeetitsobjectivesundertheKyotoProtocol.
TheFrameworkalsorequiresLocalAuthorities,relevantagenciesandGovernmentDepartmentstoprepareandpublish
draftadaptationplansbymid2014.
TheEUclimateandenergypackageiscomprisedofarangeofmeasuresaimedatreducingGHGemissions.Threekey
objectivesofwhichare;reduceEUGHGemissionsby20%on1990levels;20%ofEUenergyconsumptiontobederived
fromrenewableenergysources;andtoincreaseenergyefficiencyby20%.
The EU climate and energy package is comprised of a range of measures aimed at reducing GHG emissions. Three
proposedkeyobjectivesofwhichare;reduceEUGHGemissionsby40%on1990levels;27%ofEUenergyconsumption
tobederivedfromrenewableenergysources;andtoincreaseenergyefficiencyby30%.
Aims, as a fundamental national objective, to achieve transition to a competitive, lowcarbon, climateresilient and
environmentallysustainableeconomyby2050.
This strategy outlines how Ireland will meet its 20082012 Kyoto commitments and identifies what further policy
measuresareneeded.ItshowssectorbysectorhowtheKyotocommitments,toreducenationalGHGemissionsareto
bemetbyarangeofexistingandadditionalmeasuresincludinglimitingemissionsandinvestmentinenergyefficiency
andrenewableresources.
ThisdocumentprovidesastrategyfromEPAaroundthevision:"LivingBetter,UsingLess".IncorporatingIreland’s
NationalWastePreventionProgramme,itsetsoutprioritiesforpreventingwastageandunnecessaryconsumption
EuropeanCommissionWhitePaper
onAdaptingtoclimatechange:
TowardsaEuropeanframeworkfor
action(COM(2009)147).
NationalClimateChangeAdaptation
Framework
EU2020ClimateandEnergyPolicy
Framework
EU2030policyframeworkfor
climateandenergyproposals
ClimateActionandLowCarbon
DevelopmentNationalPolicy
PositionIreland
NationalClimateChangeStrategy
(20072012)
TowardsaResourceEfficientIreland
ANationalStrategyto2020
targets have been set for the EU to achieve by the end of 2020. These cover employment; research and
development;climate/energy;education;socialinclusionandpovertyreduction.Theobjectivesofthestrategyare
alsosupportedbyseven‘flagshipinitiatives’providingaframeworkthroughwhichtheEUandnationalauthorities
mutually reinforce their efforts in areas supporting the Europe 2020 priorities such as innovation, the digital
economy,employment,youth,industrialpolicy,poverty,andresourceefficiency.
Description
AresourceefficientEurope–
FlagshipinitiativeoftheEurope
2020Strategy
Title
Soils/Geology
Energy
ofmaterials,energy&water.
Description
This plan sets out a vision of Ireland’s bioenergy resources contributing to economic development and sustainable
DraftconsultationpaperwhichwillshapethefutureofIreland’senergypolicyandleadtoawhitepaper.
EnergyPolicyGreenPaperfor
Ireland2014
DraftBioenergyPlan2014
Thestrategicgoalistodevelopaninternationallycompetitiveandsustainableforestsectorthatprovidesafullrangeof
economic, environmental and social benefits to society and which accords with the Forest Europe definition of
sustainableforestmanagement.
Forests,productsandpeople.
Ireland’sforestpolicy–arenewed
vision2014
WhitePapersettingouttheroadmapforIrelandtocreateanewandsustainableenergyfuture.
Ofrelevancetotheissueofillegaldumping,whichoftentakesplaceinmoreremoteandwildplacesthedraftNational
Peatlands Strategy (2014) and National Raised Bog SAC Management Plan (2014) are both of relevance as they give
directiontoIreland’sapproachtopeatlandmanagement.PeatlandsareactiveCO2sinks,absorbingcarbondioxidefrom
theatmosphereandarethereforeimportantelementsincombatingclimatechange.
NationalRaisedBogSAC
ManagementPlan2014
DeliveringASustainableEnergy
FutureForIrelandEnergyPolicy
Framework20072020
Ofrelevancetotheissueofillegaldumping,whichoftentakesplaceinmoreremoteandwildplacesthedraftNational
Peatlands Strategy (2014) and National Raised Bog SAC Management Plan (2014) are both of relevance as they give
directiontoIreland’sapproachtopeatlandmanagement.PeatlandsareactiveCO2sinks,absorbingcarbondioxidefrom
theatmosphereandarethereforeimportantelementsincombatingclimatechange.
DraftNationalPeatlandsStrategy
2014
ThematicStrategyforSoilProtection Thestrategytacklesthefullrangeofthreatstosoil,inacomprehensiveandcoherentway.Itcreatesacommonlegal
2006
frameworktoensurethatEUsoilsstayhealthyforfuturegenerationsandremaincapableofsupportingtheecosystems
onwhichoureconomicactivitiesandourwellbeingdepend.
IrishGeologicalHeritageProgramme TheprogrammeaimstoidentifyanddocumentthewealthofgeologicalheritageinIrelandwithinanoverallframework
1998
of16themes,andprotectandconserveitagainsteverincreasingthreatsthroughlocalauthorityplanning,andalsoto
promote its value with the landowners and the public. Further aspects are liaising with Local Authorities in the
preparationoftheirCountyDevelopmentPlansandHeritagePlanstoincludegeologicalheritageintheplanningsystem,
andinputinEIAsandSEAsmainlyforgeologicalheritageandcoordinatesconsultationwithandsubmissionfromother
GSIprogrammeswhenrequired.
DepartmentofTransport,2003:
This strategy identifies five main goals; Investment; Safety; Competition, Regulation and Reform; Integration and
‘StatementofStrategy:2003–2005’ DeliverywhichtheDepartmentofTransportwillneedinordertoputinplacethephysicalinfrastructure,services
andorganisationalstructuresthatmeetthetransportneedsoftheIrishpeoplefortheyearsahead.
Title
TheaimoftheActionPlanistoaffirmthecommitmentto20%energysavingby2020.Energyefficiencyisintendedtobe
thefirststeptowardsthisgoalasdecreasedenergydemandallowsforagreaterproportionofcurrentandfutureenergy
tobemetthroughrenewableenergysources.ThesecondNationalEnergyEfficiencyActionPlanto2020reviewedthe90
actionsoutlinedinthefirstactionplanandupdated,amendedanddeletedtheactionsasappropriate.Theactionsare
groupedunderthefollowingthemespublicsector,theenergysupplysector,thetransportsector,thebusinesssector
andtheresidentialsector,culminatinginacrosssectoralrangeofmeasures.Thereare9actionsfromthefirstplanand
8 new actions relating to transport in the 2nd plan which includes actions such as using spatial planning to reduce
unnecessary commuting, assessing the potential for demand management measures and promoting mobility
managementplansandnationalcyclepolicyinitiatives.The3rdplansetsaclearvisionforeachofthesectorscoveredby
theActionPlan,aroundwhichpublicandprivatesectoractorscanmobilise.TheDepartmenthasreviewed,updatedand
replacedcertainactionsfromthefirstPlanasappropriatetoensureweremainontracktomeetournationalandEU
targets.
The Renewable Energy Directive (2009/28/EC) mandates that 20% of energy generated in the EU must come from
renewableenergysources.Assuch,Irelandmustreachamandatory16%ofgrossenergytobesourcedfromrenewables
by 2020. A National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP) must also be adopted by member states as per a
standardised template. Having regard to this, Ireland submitted its NREAP, following the established template, as
required under Article 4 of this Directive. The NREAP sets out Ireland’s strategic approach to meeting the assigned
targetssetoutundertheDirectivebysettingouttargetsandtrajectoriesofdifferentenergysectorsinIrelandandthe
measuresforachievingsuchtargets.
ThishighlevelStrategy,underpinnedbythedetailedNationalRenewableEnergyActionPlan,setsouttheGovernment’s
StrategicGoalsforRenewableEnergyandthekeyActionsunderwayandplannedintheshortandmediumtermforeach
oftherenewableenergysectors.TheKeyActionsaredesignedtoaddresscurrentchallengesandsupportprogressive
deliveryonournationalambitionsforrenewableelectricity,heatandtransport.
TheEnergyEfficiencyPlan2011formspartoftheEuropeanUnion’s(EU)20%target(aimedatreducingprimaryenergy
consumption) and the 2020 Energy strategy. It aims to promote an economy that respects the planet’s resources;
implementalowcarbonsystem;improvetheEU’senergyindependenceandstrengthensecurityofenergysupply.
NationalEnergyEfficiencyAction
Plan(20092020)(DCENR,2009)
NationalRenewableEnergyAction
Plan(NREAP)(2010–2020)
StrategyforRenewableEnergy
20122020
EuropeanEnergyEfficiencyPlanof
2011
NationalEnergyEfficiencyAction
Plan3(NEEAP)2014
Ireland’sSecondNationalEnergy
EfficiencyActionPlanto2020
(DCENR,2012)
ThisActionPlansetsoutanintegratedstrategyforcollectivedeliveryofthepotentialbenefitsofbioenergyresources
across the agriculture, enterprise, transport, environment and energy sectors. It will require sustained multiagency
collaboration,atnational,regionalandlocallevel,workinginstrategicalliancestoensurethatwerealisethispotential.It
isakeycomponentoftheGovernment’sobjectivesundertheEnergyPolicyFramework20072020.
growth, generating jobs for citizens, supported by coherent policy, planning and regulation, and managed in an
integratedmanner.
Description
BioenergyActionPlan
Title
Biodiversity
Europe2020istheEuropeanUnion’stenyeargrowthandjobsstrategythatwaslaunchedin2010.Fiveheadlinetargets
have been set for the EU to achieve by the end of 2020. These cover employment; research and development;
climate/energy;education;socialinclusionandpovertyreduction.Theobjectivesofthestrategyarealsosupportedby
seven‘flagshipinitiatives’providingaframeworkthroughwhichtheEUandnationalauthoritiesmutuallyreinforcetheir
efforts in areas supporting the Europe 2020 priorities such as innovation, the digital economy, employment, youth,
industrialpolicy,poverty,andresourceefficiency.
Thisactionplansetsoutmeasurestoincreasethedevelopmentofbiomassenergyfromwood,wastesandagricultural
cropsbycreatingmarketbasedincentivestoitsuseandremovingbarrierstothedevelopmentofthemarket.Inthisway
Europe can cut its dependence on fossil fuels, cut greenhouse gas emissions and stimulate economic activity in rural
areas.
Objectivesincludethemaintenanceandenhancementofbiodiversity.
Europe2020Strategy
Biomassactionplan{SEC(2005)
1573}
UNConventiononBiological
Diversity(1992)
Objectivesincludeprotectionandconservationofwetlands,particularlythoseofimportancetowaterfowlasWaterfowl
Habitat.
Objectives seek to prevent and eliminate the causes of biodiversity loss and maintain and enhance current levels of
biodiversity.
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has three main objectives: the conservation of biological diversity; the
TheEUBiodiversityStrategy
CommunicationonaEuropean
CommunityBiodiversityStrategy
(Com(98)42)
ConventiononBiologicalDiversity
Objectives seek to make the future development of the EU more sustainable. Informs the 6th Environmental Action
ProgrammeandtheIrishsustainabledevelopmentstrategy.
TheRamsarConvention
TheConventiononWetlandsof
InternationalImportance(1971and
amendments)
TheGothenburgStrategy(2001)
Communicationfromthe
Commissionon“aSustainable
EuropeforaBetterWorld”
ObjectivesseektomakethefuturedevelopmentoftheEUmoresustainable.
A strategy that proposes mid and longterm objectives for the EU's energy efficiency policy by assessing progress
towardsthe2020energyefficiencytargetandproposinganew30%targetfor2030.
EnergyEfficiencyCommunication
2014
TheSixthEnvironmentalAction
Programme(EAP)oftheEuropean
Community20022012
Description
Title
Marine
TheNationalBiodiversityStrategyandActionPlan,followsonfromtheEUBiodiversityStrategy,whichaimstoprevent
andeliminatethecausesofbiodiversitylossandmaintainandenhancecurrentlevelsofbiodiversity.Asasignatoryto
theConventiononBiologicalDiversity,IrelandiscommittedtoprotectingourbiodiversityandtheNationalBiodiversity
Strategy and Action Plan is the main tool by which Ireland seeks to meet its commitments. These strategies are
underpinnedbyEUandnationallegislation.
InresponsetotherequirementssetoutinArticle6oftheUNConventionofBiologicalDiversity1992,aBiodiversityPlan
was preparedbythe Department of Arts,Heritage, Gaeltacht andtheIslands. This is the secondNational Biodiversity
PlananditbuildsupontheachievementsofthepreviousPlan.ThePlanseekstoensurethefullandeffectiveintegration
ofbiodiversityconcernsinthedevelopmentandimplementationofotherpolicies,legislationandprogrammeswhichis
ofcriticalimportanceiftheconservationandsustainableuseofbiodiversityistobeachieved.
TheEMFFwillcontributetotheEurope2020strategyforsmart,sustainableandinclusive
growthandtotheimplementationofCFPbypursuingthefollowingUnionprioritiesfor
fisheriesandaquaculture,whichtranslatetherelevantThematicObjectivesoftheCommon
StrategicFramework.;
1) Promotingasustainableandresourceefficientfisheriesandaquaculture(including
relatedprocessing)
2) Fosteringinnovative,competitiveandknowledgebasedfisheriesandaquaculture
(includingrelatedprocessing)
3) FosteringtheimplementationoftheCFP
4) Increasingemploymentandterritorialcohesionand:
5) FosteringtheimplementationoftheIntegratedMaritimePolicy.
Isastrategytochartthedirectionoftheagrifood,fisheriesandforestrysectorsupto2020.Itisprimarilyindustryled.
NationalBiodiversityStrategy
NationalBiodiversityPlan(2011–
2016)
NationalSeafoodOperational
Programme(EMFFrequirement)and
NationalStrategicPlanfor
Aquaculture(CFPrequirement)
currentlyunderpreparationfor2014
–2020
FoodHarvest2020
The EU Biodiversity Strategy 2020 aims to prevent and eliminate the causes of biodiversity loss and maintain and
enhancecurrentlevelsofbiodiversity.TheEUstrategyhassixmaintargets:fullimplementationofEUnaturelegislation;
betterprotectionforecosystemsandmoreuseofgreeninfrastructure;moresustainableagricultureandforestry;more
sustainablefisheries;tightercontrolsoninvasivealienspecies;andagreatercontributiontoavertingglobalbiodiversity
loss. The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, follows on from the EU document. These strategies are
underpinnedbyEUandnationallegislation.
sustainableuseofthecomponentsofbiologicaldiversity;andthefairandequitablesharingofthebenefitsarisingoutof
theutilizationofgeneticresources.AsasignatorytotheCBD,Irelandiscommittedtoprotectingourbiodiversityand
the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan is the main tool by which Ireland seeks to meet its commitments
undertheConventiononBiologicalDiversity.
Description
EUBiodiversityStrategy2020
Title
HarnessingOurOceanWealthsetsouttheGovernment’sVision,HighLevelGoals,andKey‘Enabling’Actionsthe
Governmentwilltaketoputinplacetheappropriatepolicy,governanceandbusinessclimatetoenableourmarine
potentialtoberealised.
HarnessingOurOceanWealth– the
nationalintegratedmarineplanfor
Ireland.
Description
Title
EU(Assessmentand
ManagementofFloodRisks)
RegulationsSI122of2010
TheWasteManagementAct
1996andrelatedregulationsas
SI465of2011Controlof
SubstancesthatDepletethe
OzoneLayerRegulations2011
GeneralSchemeofaClimate
ActionandLowCarbon
DevelopmentBill2013
IndustrialEmissionsDirective
(2010/75/EU)
SI566of2012EuropeanUnion
(LargeCombustionPlants)
Regulations2012(transpose
ChapterIIIandAnnexVof
Directive2010/75/EUon
industrialemissions)
EnergyPerformanceof
BuildingsDirective
(2010/31/EU)
TheEuropeanCommunities
(WasteDirective)Regulations
2011(S.I.No126of2011)
CouncilDirective99/31/ECof
26April1999onthelandfillof
waste
Title
WasteFrameworkDirective
(WFD)2008/98/EC
ThisDirectiveconcernstheenergyefficiencyofbuildingsandseekstoreducetheenergyconsumptionofbuildingsthrough
theprovisionofguidelinesforEUmemberstates.Oneoftheobjectivesisthatnewbuildingsaretoreachnearzeroenergy
consumption by 2020. The Directive mandates that specific information be given to building providers, purchasers and
tenantswhichmustbetakenintoconsideration.
These Regulations provide for the transposition into Irish national law of the provisions of EU Directive 2007/60/EC of the
EuropeanParliamentandoftheCouncilof23October2007establishingaframeworkforcommunityactioninthefieldof
assessmentandmanagementoffloodrisks.
The Waste Management Act, 1996 was enacted in May, 1996. The main objectives of the Act are: a more effective
organisationofpublicauthorityfunctionsinrelationtowastemanagement,involvingneworredefinedrolesfortheMinister,
Description
This Directive lays down measures to protect the environment and human health by preventing or reducing the adverse
impacts of the generation and management of waste and by reducing overall impacts of resource use and improving the
efficiencyofsuchuse.
Theseregulations set out: theamendmentstotheWasteManagementAct2006(asamended)thatareneededtobringIrish
legislationinlinewiththeWFD;thenewprovisionsgivingeffecttotheWFDandotheramendmentstoregulationsonwaste
planning,hazardouswaste,licensingandcollectionpermitsaffectedbythetransposition.
The objective of the Directive is to prevent or reduce as far as possible negative effects on the environment from the
landfilling of waste, by introducing stringent technical requirements for waste and landfills. The Directive is intended to
prevent or reduce the adverse effects of the landfill of waste on the environment, in particular on surface water,
groundwater,soil,airandhumanhealth.
Theregulationsetsoutdesignationregardingcompetentauthoritesandbodiesandthevariousrequirementstobemetby
personswhosebusinessinvolvestheuseofcontrolledsubstances,orthemarketing,maintenanceorservicingofproductsor
equipmentwhichcontaincontrolledsubstances.
The Bill provides for a transition to a low carbon economy by 2050 with a significant lowering of emissions as well as a
situationintheagriculturesectorwherethereiscarbonneutrality(emissionsneutralisedbyadvancesintechnology,more
efficientagriculturaltechniques,andbycarbonsinkssuchasforestsandbogs.
ItistheregulatingEUDirectiveforthethermaltreatmentofwaste.
TheseRegulationssetoutspecialprovisionsforcombustionplantsinordertoreduceacidification,groundlevelozoneand
particles by controlling emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides(NOx) and dust (particulate matter (PM)) from
largecombustionplantsinpowerstationsandindustrialinstallationsrunningonsolid,liquidorgaseousfuel.
EnvironmentalProtectionObjectivescontainedwithinInternational,EuropeanandnationalLegislation
Waste
TheseRegulationsimplementRegulation(EC)No999/2001oftheEuropeanParliamentandoftheCouncillayingdownrules
for the prevention, control and eradication of certain transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. The Regulations provide
ancillary and supplementary measures necessary for a series of EC Regulations relating to transmissible spongiform
encephalopathiesandanimalbyproductstohavefulleffect.
Thisorderregulatestheuseoforganicfertilisersandsoilimproversconsistingoformanufacturedfromanimalbyproductsto
minimisetheriskoftransmissiblespongiformencephalopathies(TSEs)andotheranimaldiseases.
ThisgovernmentpolicydocumentbuiltonChangingOurWaysmovingtoconcreteproposalstogiveauthoritiesmorepower
totackletheproblemofwaste.ThedocumentalsoannouncedtheestablishmentofaNationalWastePreventionProgramme
intheEnvironmentalProtectionAgency.
AsystemforthesupervisionandcontrolofshipmentsofwastewithinEUbordersandwiththecountriesoftheEuropean
Free Trade Association (EFTA), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and third countries
whicharepartytotheBaselConvention.
ThemovementofwastebetweenMemberStatesissubjecttoRegulation(EC)No.1013/2006oftheEuropeanParliamentand
oftheCouncilof14thJune,2006onshipmentsofwaste.ThisRegulationissupportedinIrishlawthroughtheShipmentof
WasteRegulations.
AnimalByProductscanbedangeroustoanimalandhumanhealthastheycanspreaddiseasesor containchemical
contaminants.TheyneedtobeproperlydisposedofandthereforetheEUhasrulesandregulationsinrelationtotheir
movement,processinganddisposal.
The movement, processing and disposal of animal byproducts has been supported in Irish law through the Animal By
productsRegulations(asamended).
Description
theEPAandlocalauthorities;enablingmeasuresdesignedtoimproveperformanceinrelationtothepreventionandrecovery
ofwaste,andacomprehensiveregulatoryframeworkfortheapplicationofhigherenvironmentalstandards,inresponseto
EU and national requirements. TheEnvironment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act2011provides for a number of revisions to
theWasteManagementAct1996andinparticular,providesgreaterflexibilityinthesettingofthelevyonplasticbagsand
thelandfilllevy.
Policyproposaloncirculareconomyaimedatincreasingrecyclingandsustainability.
DiseasesofAnimalAct1966
(TransmissibleSpongiform
Encephalopathies)Fertiliserand
SoilImproverOrder2008(S.I.
253/2008)
EnvironmentalLiabilities
TheaimoftheDirectiveistoholdthosewhoseactivitieshavecausedenvironmentaldamagefinanciallyliableforremedying
Directive(2004/35/EC)
thisdamage.
AnimalByproducts
(Amendment)Regulations2005
(S.I707of2005)
ECTransmissibleSpongiform
EncephalopathiesRegulations
2008(S.I.252/2008)
Regulation(EC)1174/2002
AnimalByproducts
ShipmentofWasteRegulations
2007(S.I.707of2005)
Regulation(EC)onShipmentof
Waste1013/2006
Towardsacirculareconomy:A
zerowasteprogrammefor
Europe
DeliveringChange–Recycling
andPreventingWaste(2002)
Title
amended
Biodiversity
EuropeanCommission(2006)
NatureandBiodiversityCases.
RulingoftheEuropeanCourtof
Justice
FloraProtectionOrder1999
TheWildlifeAct1976.The
Wildlife(Amendment)Act2000
EuropeanCommunities
EnvironmentalObjectives
(FreshwaterPearlMussel)
Regulations2009(SI296)
EuropeanCommunities(Natural
Habitats)Regulations,SI
94/1997,asamendedSI
233/1998andSI378/2005
QualityofSalmonidWaters
Regulations1988(SI293of
1988)
Title
EnvironmentalLiabilities
RegulationsS.I.547/2008
TheEUHabitatsDirective
(92/43/EEC)
TheEUBirdsDirective(as
modified)(79/409/EEC)
TheEUFreshwaterFish
Directive(78/659/EEC)
EuropeanCommunities(Birds
andNaturalHabitats)
Regulations,2011(S.I.477of
2011)WildlifeActs,19762000
Prescribequalitystandardsforsalmonidwatersanddesignatethewaterstowhichtheyapply,togetherwiththesampling
programmesandthemethodsofanalysisandinspectiontobeusedbylocalauthoritiestodeterminecompliancewiththe
standards. Also, give effect to Council Directive No. 78/659/EEC on the quality of fresh waters needing protection or
improvementinordertosupportfishlife.
Objectivesaretoprotectlistedfloraandtheirhabitatsfromalteration,damageorinterferenceinanyway.Thisprotection
applieswherevertheplantsarefoundandisnotconfinedtositesdesignatedfornatureconservation.
Inthecaseofdisputeordivergingviewsonthelegalframework,itrestswiththeEUCourtofJusticetoprovidedefinitive
interpretationofaDirective.ThispublicationisacollectionofrulingswhichhaveregardtobiodiversityinEurope.
TheseRegulationsgiveeffecttoCouncilDirective92/43/EEContheconservationofnaturalhabitatsandofwildfaunaand
flora (Habitats Directive) and the Minister to designate special areas of conservation (endangered species and habitats of
endangeredspecies)asacontributiontoanEUCommunitynetworktobeknownasNATURA2000.
ThepurposeoftheWildlifeAct,1976andtheWildlifeAmendmentAct,2000istoprovidefortheprotectionofWildlife(both
FloraandFauna)andthecontrolofactivities,whichmayimpactadverselyontheconservationofwildlife.
Theseregulationsestablishaprogramme,includingatimeframe,forthereductionofpressuresgivingrisetounfavourable
conservation status. The programme shall include pressure reduction targets and deadlines, either in relation to individual
pollutantsortoparticular
Objectives seek to prevent and eliminate the causes of bird species loss and maintain and enhance current levels of
biodiversity.
Objectives seek to protect those fresh water bodies identified by Member States as waters suitable for sustaining fish
populations.Forthosewatersitsetsphysicalandchemicalwaterqualityobjectivesforsalmonidwatersandcyprinidwaters.
The European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 consolidate the European Communities (Natural
Habitats) Regulations 1997 to 2005 and theEuropean Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats)(Control of Recreational
Activities)Regulations2010,aswellasaddressingtranspositionfailuresidentifiedinjudgmentsoftheCourtofJusticeofthe
European Union (CJEU). The Regulations have been prepared to address several judgments of the CJEU against Ireland,
notably cases C418/04 and C183/05, in respect of failure to transposeelements of the Birds Directive and the Habitats
DirectiveintoIrishlaw.
Description
The Liabilities Directive was transposed into Irish Law in 2009 by the European Communities (Environmental Liability)
Regulations2008andcomesundertheremitoftheEPA.
Objectivesseektopreventand eliminatethecausesofhabitatlossandmaintainandenhancecurrentlevelsofbiodiversity.
Water
TheEuropeanDrinkingWaterDirective(DWD),CouncilDirective98/83/ECconcernsthequalityofwaterintendedforhuman
consumptionandformspartoftheregulationofWatersupplyandsanitationintheEuropeanUnion.TheDirectiveis
intendedtoprotecthumanhealthbylayingdownhealthinessandpurityrequirementswhichmustbemetbydrinkingwater
withintheCommunity(seewaterquality).Itappliestoallwaterintendedforhumanconsumptionapartfromnaturalmineral
watersandwaterswhicharemedicinalproducts.
DrinkingWaterDirective
(80/778/EEC)asamendedby
Directive98/83/EC
ProvideforthetranspositionintoIrishnationallawoftheprovisionsoftheEUWaterFrameworkDirective.
EuropeanCommunities(Water
Policy)Regulations(SI722of
2003)
TheUrbanWasteWaterTreatmentDirective(fulltitleCouncilDirective91/271/EECof21May1991concerningurbanwaste
watertreatment)isaEuropeanUniondirectiveconcerningthe"collection,treatmentanddischargeofurbanwastewaterand
thetreatmentanddischargeofwastewaterfromcertainindustrialsectors".Thedirectivewasadoptedon21May1991.Its
statedobjectiveis"toprotecttheenvironmentfromtheadverseeffectsofurbanwastewaterdischargesanddischargesfrom
certainindustrialsectors"
TheFloodsDirectiveappliestoriverbasinsandcoastalareasatriskofflooding.Withtrendssuchasclimatechangeand
increaseddomesticandeconomicdevelopmentinfloodriskzones,thisposesathreatoffloodingincoastalandriverbasin
areas.
EUFloodsDirective
(2007/60/EC)
TheUrbanWastewater
TreatmentDirective
(91/271/EEC)asamendedby
Directive(98/15/EEC)
Thisdirectiveestablishesaregime,whichsetsundergroundwaterqualitystandardsandintroducesmeasurestopreventor
limitinputsofpollutantsintogroundwater.
GroundwaterDirective
(2006/118/EC)
ThelegislationgoverningthequalityofbathingwatersissetoutintheBathingWaterQualityRegulations2008(SINo.79of
2008)whichtransposedtherevisedECDirectiveonbathingwater(2006/7/EC)whichcameintoforceon24March2006.
From20112013transitionalmeasureshavebeeninplacewherebyannualassessmentsagainstthestandardsofthe1976
BatingWaterDirectivehavebeenundertaken.TherevisedDirectivewillcomefullyintoeffectinDecember2014.
TheWaterFrameworkDirective,wasadoptedin2000asasinglepieceoflegislationcoveringrivers,lakes,groundwaterand
transitional(estuarine)andcoastalwatersandincludesheavilymodifiedandartificialwaterbodies.Itsobjectivesareto
preventfurtherdeteriorationofandtoprotect,enhanceandrestorethestatusofallbodiesofwaterwiththeaimof
achievingatleastgoodstatusby2015.
TheWaterFrameworkDirective
(2000/60/EC)
TheBathingWaterdirective
(2006/7/EC)
Description
Title
Description
The Water Services Act 2007 provides for the conservation of water where leakage occurs due to unrepaired pipes or
equipment,orwherepoormanagementresultsinwastageorexcessiveconsumptionofwater.TheWaterServicesAct2013
providesfortheestablishmentofIrishWater/UisceÉireannasasubsidiaryofBordGáisÉireann.TheActalsoprovidesthe
Commission for Energy Regulation with a function to advise the Government in relation to the development of policy
regardingtheregulationoftheprovisionofwaterservices.
TheregulationssetoutstandardsforWaterServiceAuthoritiestoadhereto.
WasteWaterDischarge
(Authorisation)Regulations
2007(SINo.684of2007)
WaterPollutionActs19771990
ThepurposeforwhichtheRegulationsaremadeistopreventandreducethepollutionofwatersbywastewaterdischarges
bygivingeffecttoArticle6oftheDangerousSubstancesDirective.
The Water Pollution Acts enable local authorities to: prosecute for water pollution offences; attach appropriate pollution
control conditions in the licensing of effluent discharges from industry, etc., made to waters or to sewers; issue notices
requiringapersontopreventorceasethepollutionofwatersandrequiringthemitigationorremedyingofanyeffectsofthe
pollutioninthemannerandwithintheperiodspecifiedinsuchnotices;seekcourtorders,includingHighCourtinjunctions,to
prevent,terminate,mitigateorremedypollution/itseffects;preparewaterqualitymanagementplansforanywatersinor
adjoiningtheirfunctionalareas;makebyelawsregulatingcertainagriculturalactivitieswherethelocalauthorityconsiders
thistobenecessarysoastopreventoreliminatepollutionofwaters.
These
Regulations set a legal requirement for waste water treatment plants to be designed, constructed, operated and
EuropeanCommunities(Waste
WaterTreatment)Preventionof maintained so as to avoid causing nuisance from odour emissions or noise and for the operators of these plants including
sanitaryauthoritiesto:Maintainrecordsofmandatoryenvironmentalstandards,includingthoserelatingtoodoursandnoise
OdoursandNoise)Regulations
2005(SINo.787of2005)
whichapplytowastewatertreatmentplants;ProvidedetailsofallnecessarystepstakentocomplywiththeRegulationsto
theEnvironmentalProtectionAgencyeachyear;MakeareportannuallytotheAgencydetailinganyincidentsarisingfrom
odoursornoiseinrespectofanywastewatertreatmentplantandanyenvironmentalcomplaintsinrelationtotheoperation
ofsuchplants;andforwardcopiesofallcomplaintrecordstotheAgencyforanyspecificplantoveranyspecifiedperiod,on
requestfromtheAgency.
WaterServicesActs2007
2013
EuropeanCommunities
(DrinkingWater)(No.2)
Regulations2007(SINo.278of
2007)
ArterialDrainageActs,1945and
Tomakeprovisionforthedrainageandimprovementoflandbytheexecutionofworksofarterialdrainage,toprovideforthe
1995
maintenanceofthoseworksandmakefurtherandbetterprovisionforthemaintenanceofexistingdrainageworks,andto
provideformattersincidentaltoorconnectedwiththemattersaforesaidorrelatinggenerallytothedrainageofland.
Title
Description
SurfaceWaterRegulations2009 TheRegulationsapplytoallsurfacewatersandaremadetogiveeffecttothemeasuresneededtoachievetheenvironmental
objectives established for bodies of surface water by the Water Framework Directive, including the environmental quality
standardsestablishedbyDirective2008/105/ECoftheEuropeanParliamentandoftheCouncilandtogivefurthereffectto
therequirementsDangerousSubstancesDirective
Title
SustainableDevelopment(inc.PopulationandHumanHealth)
PlanningandDevelopment
(StrategicEnvironmental
Assessment)Regulations2004
(S.I.436of2004)asamended
Underthetermsof“Towards2016”,thecurrentSocialPartnershipAgreement,theGovernmentiscommittedtopublishinga
renewedNationalSustainableDevelopmentStrategyin2008.SustainableDevelopmentUnitiscoordinatingthepreparation
of this Strategy. The renewed Strategy will replace our first National Sustainable Development Strategy, “Sustainable
Development – A Strategy for Ireland”, published in 1997, and “Making Ireland’s Development Sustainable”, published in
2002.
TheunderlyingprinciplesoftheDirectivearesimilartothoseunderpinningotheroverarchingenvironmentpolicies(suchas
airorwaste),i.e.:Monitoringtheenvironmentalproblem;Informingandconsultingthepublic;Addressinglocalnoiseissues;
andDevelopingalongtermEUstrategy.
NationalSustainable
DevelopmentPolicy
TheEnvironmentalNoise
Directive(END)(2002/49/EC)
TherequirementforSEAinIrelandisoutlinedintheseregulations.
TherequirementforSEAinIrelandinrelationtolanduseplanningisoutlinedintheseregulations.
PlanningandDevelopment
Regulations2001(asamended)
EuropeanCommunities
(EnvironmentalAssessmentof
CertainPlansandProgrammes
Regulations2004(S.I.435of
2004)asamended
ThePlanningandDevelopmentRegulations,2001(asamended)implementthePlanningandDevelopmentAct,2000inits
entirety.TheyconsolidateallpreviousRegulationsmadeunderthe2000ActandreplacetheLocalGovernment(Planningand
Development)Regulations19942000.
PlanningandDevelopmentAct
2000(asamended2010)
Description
Objective istoprovideforahighlevelofprotectionoftheenvironmentandtocontributetotheintegrationofenvironmental
considerationsintothepreparationandadoptionofplansandprogrammes.Thisisdonewithaviewtopromotingsustainable
developmentbyensuringthatinaccordancewiththisDirective,anenvironmentalassessmentiscarriedoutofcertainplans
andprogrammeswhicharelikelytohavesignificanteffectsontheenvironment.
ObjectivesaretoreviseandconsolidatethelawrelatingtoplanninganddevelopmentbyLocalGovernment(Planningand
Development) Acts, 1963 to 1999. To provide, in the interests of the common good, for proper planning and sustainable
developmentincludingtheprovisionofhousing.Toprovideforthelicensingofeventsandcontroloffunfairs.Toamendthe
Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992, the Roads Act 1993, the Waste Management Act 1996, and certain other
enactments.
Title
TheSEADirective(2001/42/EC)
Heritage
(Cultural,
Architectur
aland
CircularLetterPD2/07and
NPWS1/07:Compliance
Conditionsinrespectof
Developmentsrequiring(1)
EnvironmentalImpact
Assessment(EIA);or(2)having
potentialimpactsonNatura
2000sites
TheArchitecturalHeritage
(NationalInventory)and
HistoricMonuments
(MiscellaneousProvisions)Act
1999
CircularLetterSEA1/08&
NPWS1/08:Appropriate
AssessmentofLandUsePlans
RegionalPlanningGuidelines
CatchmentFloodRiskand
Management
TheEIADirective(85/337/EEC)isinforcesince1985andappliestoawiderangeofdefinedpublicandprivateprojects,which
aredefinedinAnnexesIandII:MandatoryEIAandDiscretionofMemberStates(Screening)TheinitialDirectiveof1985and
itsthreeamendmentshavebeencodifiedbyDIRECTIVE2011/92/EUof13December2011.Directive2011/92/EUhasbeen
amendedin2014byDIRECTIVE2014/52/EU
TheEIADirective(85/337/EEC)
asamendedbyDirective
97/11/EC
ProvidesfortheestablishmentofaNationalInventoryofArchitecturalHeritage(NIAH).TheobjectiveoftheNIAHistoaidin
theprotectionandconservationofthebuiltheritage,especiallybyadvisingplanningauthoritiesontheinclusionofparticular
structuresintheRecordofProtectedStructures(RPS).
ThiscircularletterisregardingComplianceConditionsinrespectofDevelopmentsrequiring
(1)EnvironmentalImpactAssessment(EIA);or
(2)havingpotentialimpactsonNatura2000sites.
This circular is regarding the ruling against Ireland in Case 418/04 EC Commission v Ireland. The ruling relates to Ireland’s
transpositionandimplementationoftheBirdsDirective79/409/EEC,aswellasitsimplementationofrelevantarticlesofthe
HabitatsDirective92/43/EEC.
CFRAM is Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management. The national CFRAM programme commenced in Ireland in
2011.TheCFRAMProgrammeiscentraltothemediumtolongtermstrategyforthereductionandmanagementoffloodrisk
in Ireland. The Programme delivers on core components of theNational Flood Policy, adopted in 2004, and on the
requirements of theEU ‘Floods’ Directive. The Irish CFRAM programme is being carried out in parallel with similar
programmesacrosstheEuropeanUnion.
Regional Planning Guidelines (RPGs) were first adopted in March 2004 as a key implementation mechanism of the
Government’soverallframeworkforachievingmorebalancedregionaldevelopmentandmorestrategicphysicalandspatial
planning–the2002NationalSpatial
Strategy(NSS).TheprincipalfunctionforRPGsistolinknationalstrategicspatialplanningpoliciestotheplanningprocessat
City and County Council level by coordinating the Development Plans of these 34 local authorities through the Regional
PlanningGuidelines.
Description
Title
AirQuality
Climate
Soils/Geol
ogy
Marine
QualityofShellfishWaters
Regulations2006(SI268/2006)
TheSoilsDirective(Draft)
Adaptingtoclimatechangein
Europe–optionsforEUaction
{SEC(2007)849}
Give effect to Council Directive 79/923/EEC of 30 October 1979 on the quality required of shellfish waters and prescribe
quality standards for shellfish waters and designate the waters to which they apply, together with sampling and analysis
procedurestobeusedtodeterminecompliancewiththestandards.
The proposed Directive lays down a framework for the protection and sustainable use of soil based on the principles of
integrationofsoilissuesintootherpolicies,preservationofsoilfunctionswithinthecontextofsustainableuse,preventionof
threatstosoilandmitigationoftheireffects,aswellasrestorationofdegradedsoilstoaleveloffunctionalityconsistentat
leastwiththecurrentandapprovedfutureuseoftheland.
ObjectiveistokickstartaEuropewidepublicdebateandconsultationonhowtotakeforwardpossibleavenuesforactionin
adaptingtoclimatechangeatEUlevel.
DirectiveonNationalEmission
Objectives seek to limit the national emissions of certain airborne pollutants for the protection of human health and the
CeilingsforCertainAtmospheric environment.
Pollutants(2001/81/EC
Objectives include the prevention and/or reduction of airborne pollutants for the protection of human health and
environment.
The purpose of this Circular is to provide local authorities with basic guidance on identifying potential issues relating to
protectionofnaturalheritage(includingsites,habitatsandspecies)andarchaeologicalheritageinordertopreventavoidable
delays in the planning and implementation of individual schemes under the Water Services Investment and Rural Water
Programmes.
Theobjectivesforarchitecturearefurtheradvancedwithemphasisonfourcentralthemes:establishingarobustevidence
baseforarchitecturepolicyandbuildingresearchcapacityinthearea;leadingbyexampleinprocuringhighqualitybuildings,
setting new standards of excellence in building performance and architectural quality; promoting the production of a
sustainable built environment through greater integration of architectural input in the planning process; promoting
awarenessandunderstandingandthedemandforhighqualityinarchitecture.
Thisdocumentsetsoutnationalpolicyfortheprotection,preservationandconservationofhistoricurbandefencesinIreland.
GovernmentPolicyon
Architecture20092015
NationalPolicyinTown
Defences2008
CircularL8/08:WaterServices
InvestmentandRuralWater
Programmes–Protectionof
NaturalHeritageandNational
Monuments
TheCleanerAirforEurope
(CAFÉ)Directive
(2008/50/EC)
Description
Objectivesseektoprotectmonumentsofnationalimportancebyvirtueofthehistorical,architectural,traditional,artisticor
archaeological interest attaching to them and includes the site of the monument, the means of access to it and any land
requiredtopreservethemonumentfrominjuryortopreserveitsamenities.
Title
TheNationalMonumentsActs
(1930to2004)
ClassifiedShellfishProduction
areas(classifiedforfoodsafety
andconsumerprotection
purposesunderRegulation(EC)
No854/2004).
Ireland amended and replaced its framework legislation for managing seafisheries in Natura 2000 sites in 2013. The new
framework legislation is theEuropean Union (Birds and Natural Habitats)(SeaFisheries) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 290 of
2013).These regulations have been drafted to implement the responsibilities of the Minister for Agriculture Food and the
MarineinrelationtoseafisheriesinNatura2000sites,inaccordancewiththeHabitatsandBirdsDirectivesastransposedby
theEuropeanCommunities(BirdsandNaturalHabitats)Regulations2011(S.I.477of2011).
FisheriesNaturaPlansand
Declarationsmadeunder
EuropeanUnion(Birdsand
NaturalHabitats)(Seafisheries)
Regulations2013.
MarineStrategyFramework
Directive(2008/56/EC)
Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 lays down specific rules for the organisation of official controls on products of animal origin
intendedforhumanconsumption,asamended.
TheDirectiveestablishesaframeworkwithinwhicheachmemberstateshalltakethenecessarymeasurestoachieveor
maintaingoodenvironmentalstatusinthemarineenvironmentbytheyear2020atthelatest.
ThisactwaspublishedtoconsolidateandamendpreviousFisheryacts,aswellasprovidingfortheestablishmentoftheSea
FisheriesProtectionAuthoritywhoareIreland'scompetentauthorityforSeafoodSafetyandSeaFisheriesProtection.
Description
TheaimoftheShellfishWatersDirectiveistoprotectorimproveshellfishwatersinordertosupportshellfishlifeandgrowth.
Itisdesignedtoprotecttheaquatichabitatofbivalveandgastropodmolluscs,whichincludeoysters,mussels,cockles,
scallopsandclams.TheDirectiverequiresMemberStatestodesignatewatersthatneedprotectioninordertosupport
shellfishlifeandgrowth.
TheDirectivesetsphysical,chemicalandmicrobiologicalrequirementsthatdesignatedshellfishwatersmusteithercomply
withorendeavourtoimprove
TheDirectivealsoprovidesfortheestablishmentofpollutionreductionprogrammesforthedesignatedwaters.
TheForeshoreActs1933 2011requirethataleaseorlicencemustbeobtainedfromtheMinisterforAgriculture,Foodand
theMarineforworksundertakenontheforeshorewhicharedeemedtobe:
anyfunctioninrelationtoafisheryharbourcentre,
anyfunctioninrespectof—
(i)anactivitywhichiswhollyorprimarilyfortheuse,developmentorsupportofaquaculture,or
(ii)anactivitywhichiswhollyorprimarilyfortheuse,developmentorsupportofseafishingincludingtheprocessingandsale
ofseafishandmanufactureofproductsderivedfromseafish.
TheFisheries(Amendment)Act1997,sections2,3and4oftheFisheriesandForeshore(Amendment)Act1998,theFisheries
(Amendment)Act2001andsection101maybecitedtogetherastheAquacultureActs1997to2006andshallbeconstrued
togetherasone.
SeaFisheriesandMaritime
JurisdictionAct2006andSea
FisheriesRegulations
AquacultureActs19972006
(Fisheries(Amendment)Act
1997andamendments)
ForeshoreActs19332011
Title
ShellfishWatersDirective–
2006/113/EC
GLOSSARY
Term
Explanation
AlienSpecies
Invasivealienspeciesarenonnativeplantsoranimalsthatsuccessfullyestablish
themselvesanddamageournaturalfloraandfauna.
AppropriateAssessment
AnassessmentoftheeffectsofaplanorprojectontheNatura2000network.
The Natura 2000 network comprises Special Protection Areas under the Birds
Directive,SpecialAreasofConservationundertheHabitatsDirective(collectively
referredtoasEuropeansites).
Aquifers
Awaterbearingrockwhichreadilytransmitswatertowellsandsprings.
AnaerobicDigestion
The biological decomposition of biowaste in the absence of oxygen and under
controlledconditionsinordertoproducebiogasanddigestate.
Backfilling
RecoveryofC&Dwastethroughthepermanentplacementofsuitablematerial
inlandreclamationorengineeringpurposeswherethewasteisasubstitutefor
nonwastematerial.
BaselineEnvironment
AdescriptionofthepresentstateoftheenvironmentoftheP/Parea.
Biodegradable
In the context of waste, this means waste that is capable of undergoing
anaerobicoraerobicbiologicaldecomposition,suchasfoodandgardenwaste,
paperandcardboardetc.
Biodiversity
Wordcommonlyusedforbiologicaldiversityanddefinedasassemblageofliving
organisms from all habitats including terrestrial, marine and other aquatic
ecosystemsandtheecologicalcomplexesofwhichtheyarepart.
BiologicalTreatment
Involves composting, anaerobic digestion, mechanical/ biological treatment or
anyotherprocessforstabilisingandsanitisingbiodegradablewaste.
Biowaste
Under the terms of the Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC) biowaste
means biodegradable garden and park waste, food and kitchen waste from
households, restaurants, caterers and retail premises and comparable waste
fromfoodprocessingplants.
BirdsDirective
Council Directive of 2nd April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds
(79/409/EEC).
CarbonDioxide(CO2)
A naturally occurring gas which is also a byproduct of burning fossil fuels and
biomass, landuse changes and industrial processes. It is the principal
anthropogenicgreenhousegasthataffectstheearth’sradiativebalance.Itisthe
reference gas against which other greenhouse gases are measured and
thereforehasaGlobalWarmingPotentialof1.
CivicAmenitySites(CAS)
A reception facility that enables householders to deposit a wide range of
household waste including recyclable and nonrecyclable materials, bulky
householdwasteandcertaincategoriesofhouseholdhazardouswaste.
CoIncineration
Involvesplantswherewasteisusedasafuelorisdisposedofataplantalong
withothersubstanceswhereenergygenerationorproductionmaytakeplace.
CollectionSystem
A system of gathering, sorting or mixing of waste for the purpose of it being
transportedtoawasterecoveryordisposalfacility.
Compost
The stable, sanitised and humuslike material rich in organic matter and free
from offensive odours resulting from the composting process of separately
collectedbiowaste.
Constructionand
Demolition(C&D)Waste
All waste that arises from construction and demolition activities (including
excavatedsoilfromcontaminatedsites).Thesewastesarelistedinchapter17of
theEuropeanwastecatalogue(EWC).
CSO
TheCentralStatisticsOffice.
CumulativeEffects
Effectsontheenvironmentthatresultfromincrementalchangescausedbythe
strategic action together with other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable
future actions. These effects can result from individually minor but collectively
significantactionstakingplaceovertimeorspace.
DECLG
TheDepartmentoftheEnvironment,CommunityandLocalGovernment.
AnorganisationthatmustbeconsultedinaccordancewiththeSEARegulations.
Digestate
The material resulting from the anaerobic digestion of separately collected
biowaste.
Disposal
Any operation which is not recovery even where the operation has as a
secondaryconsequencethereclamationofsubstancesorenergy.AnnexIofthe
Waste Framework Directive (Directive 2008/98/EC) sets out a non–exhaustive
listofdisposaloperations.
Ecology
The study of the relationship among organisms and between those organisms
andtheirnonlivingenvironment.
Ecosystem
Acommunityofinterdependentorganismstogetherwiththeenvironmentthey
inhabit and with which they interact, and which is distinct from adjacent
communitiesandenvironments.
EEE
Electricalandelectronicequipment.
EndofLifeVehicle(ELV)
A vehicle which is waste within the meaning of Article 1(a) of the Waste
Directive(refertoDirective2000/53/EConend–oflifevehicles).
Environmental
Assessment
The preparation of an environmental report, the carrying out of consultations,
the taking into account of the environmental report and the results of the
consultations in decisionmaking and the provision of information on the
decision(inaccordancewithArticles4to9oftheSEADirective).
EnvironmentalIndicator
Anenvironmentalindicatorisameasureofanenvironmentalvariableovertime,
usedtomeasureachievementsofenvironmentalobjectivesandtargets
EnvironmentalObjective
Environmentalobjectivesarebroad,overarchingprincipleswhichshouldspecify
adesireddirectionofenvironmentalchange
EnvironmentalReceptors
Include biodiversity, population, human health, fauna, flora, soil, water, air,
climatic factors, material assets, cultural heritage (including architectural and
archaeological) and landscape as listed in the SEA Directive. This list is not
exhaustive,andcanincludeotherreceptorswhichmayariseforaparticularP/P.
EnvironmentalReport
(ER)
AdocumentrequiredbytheSEADirectiveaspartofastrategicenvironmental
assessmentwhichidentifies,describesandevaluatesthelikelysignificanteffects
ontheenvironmentofimplementingaplanorprogramme.
EU
TheEuropeanunion.
Groundwater
Allwaterwhichisbelowthesurfaceofthegroundinthesaturationzoneandin
directcontactwiththegroundorsubsoil.Thiszoneiscommonlyreferredtoas
anaquiferwhichisasubsurfacelayerorlayersofrockorothergeologicalstrata
ofsufficientporosityandpermeabilitytoallowasignificantflowofgroundwater
ortheabstractionofsignificantquantitiesofgroundwater.
GreenhouseGas
Gaseous constituents of the atmosphere that absorb/trap infrared (thermal)
radiation which is mainly emitted by the earth’s surface and thereby influence
theearth’stemperature.
HabitatsDirective
Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural
habitatsandofwildfloraandfauna.
HazardousWastes
Wastes that have the potential to cause harm to human health or the
environment.Anywastewhichdisplaysoneormoreofthehazardousproperties
listed in Annex III of the waste framework directive (2008/98/EC) is defined as
hazardouswaste.
HierarchyofPlans
BothhigherandlowerlevelP/PrelevanttotheP/Pbeingassessed.
HouseholdWaste
Waste produced within the curtilage of a building/residence or selfcontained
partofabuilding/premisesusedforthepurposesoflivingaccommodation.
Incineration
Aprocessbywhichheatisappliedtowasteinordertoreduceitsbulk,priorto
finaldisposalwhichmayormaynotinvolveenergyrecovery.
InertWaste
Waste that does not undergo any significant physical, chemical or biological
transformations. Inert waste will not dissolve, burn or otherwise physically or
chemically react, biodegrade or adversely affect other matter with which it
comes into contact in any way likely to give rise to environmental pollution or
harmhumanhealth.
IntegratedPollution
Control(IPC)licence
An authorisation issued and enforced by the EPA for specific industrial and
agricultural activities as governed by the EPA Act 1992 (as amended). An IPC
licencesetslimitsonairandwateremissions,wasteandnoiseandrequiresthat
anactivitymustusetheBestAvailableTechniques(BAT).
Interrelationships
Associations or linkages, related to environmental impact of the proposed P/P
usuallyonenvironmentalreceptors.
KerbsideCollection
A common reference for the practice of collecting household or commercial
wastedirectlyfromitssource,often,thoughnotnecessarily,fromthepavement
or front door. This service to customers generally entails waste collectors
collecting using separate bins to collect waste streams (usually dry recyclables,
organicwaste,andresidualwaste).
LandfillDirective
A Directive which aims, by means of stringent operational and technical
requirements on the landfilling of waste, to implement measures, procedures
and guidance to prevent or reduce as far as possible negative effects on the
environment,inparticularthepollutionofsurfacewater,groundwater,soiland
air,andontheglobalenvironment,includingthegreenhouseeffect,aswellas
anyresultingrisktohumanhealth,duringthewholelifecycleofthelandfill.
LandfillLevy
Anadditionalenvironmentallevythatispaidontopofnormalgatefeesbyany
privatecontractororLocalAuthoritythatwishestodisposeofwastethrougha
landfill site. The landfill levy is collected through landfill operators and forms
part of a policy aimed at providing more incentives for reuse and recycling of
waste.
Leachate
Theliquidproducedwhenwaterpercolatesthroughanypermeablematerial.It
cancontaineitherdissolvedorsuspendedmaterial,orusuallyboth.
MaterialAssets
Criticalinfrastructureessentialforthefunctioningofsocietysuchas:electricity
generationanddistribution,watersupply,wastewatertreatment,transportation
etc.
MaterialRecovery
Facilities
Facilitieswhererecyclablesaresortedintospecificcategoriesandprocessed,or
furthertransportedtoprocessorsforremanufacturing.
MDR
Mixeddryrecyclables.
Mechanical–biological
Treatment(MBT)
Thetreatmentofresidualmunicipalwaste(blackbin)throughacombinationof
manual and mechanical processing and biological stabilisation, in order to
stabiliseandreducethemassofwastethatrequiresdisposal.
MetricTonnes
Expressedas‘t’throughoutthisreport.Mt=milliontonnes.
MitigationMeasures
Measures to avoid/prevent, minimise/reduce, or as fully as possible,
offset/compensateforanysignificantadverseeffectsontheenvironment,asa
resultofimplementingaP/P.
Monitoring
A continuing assessment of environmental conditions at, and surrounding, the
planorprogramme.Thisdeterminesifeffectsoccuraspredictedorifoperations
remain within acceptable limits, and if mitigation measures are as effective as
predicted. The primary purpose of monitoring is to identify significant
environmental effects which arise during the implementation stage against
thosepredictedduringtheplanpreparationstage.
MunicipalSolidWaste
(MSW)orMunicipal
Waste
Household waste as well as commercial and other waste that, because of its
nature or composition, is similar to household waste. It excludes municipal
sludges and effluents. In the context of this report municipal waste consists of
threemainelements–household,commercial(includingnon–processindustrial
waste),andstreetcleansingwaste(streetsweepings,streetbinsandmunicipal
parksandcemeteriesmaintenancewaste,littercampaignmaterial).
NaturalHeritageArea
(NHA)
Anareaconsideredimportantforthehabitatspresentorwhichholdsspeciesof
plantsandanimalswhosehabitatneedsprotection.
NWCPO
NationalWasteCollectionPermitOffice,OffalyCountyCouncil.
NontechnicalSummary
A summary of the findings of the ER, summarised under the headings listed in
Annex1oftheSEADirectivethatcanbereadilyunderstoodbydecisionmakers
andbythegeneralpublic.ItshouldaccuratelyreflectthefindingsoftheER.
OrganicWaste
Biodegradable food, garden and landscaping waste, and where the context
permits,willalsoincludeindustrialorganicsludges(e.g.fromthefoodanddrink
productionsector).
PayToUse(PTU)
Wastecompactorunitswhichmembersofthepubliccanpaytousetodeposit
theirmunicipalresidualwastewhichareprimarilylocatedongarageforecourts
andparkingareasofsupermarketsandotherretailoutlets.
PolluterPaysPrinciple
TheprinciplesetoutinCouncilRecommendation75/436/Euratom,ECSC,EECof
3rdMarch19751(20)regardingcostallocationandactionbypublicauthorities
onenvironmentalmatters.
PreparingforReuse
Checking, cleaning or repairing recovery operations, by which products or
componentsofproductsthathavebecomewastearepreparedsothattheycan
bereusedwithoutanyfurtherpreprocessing.
PreTreatment
The processing of waste which still results in a waste which subsequently
undergoesotherwasterecoveryordisposaltreatment.Pretreatmentactivities
include operations like “dismantling, sorting, crushing, compacting, palletising,
drying, shredding, conditioning, repackaging, separating, blending or mixing if
the material or substance resulting from such operations is still waste”. These
activitiesdonotsitonanyparticularrungofthewastehierarchyandinsteadcan
beregardedas“precursors”tospecifictypesoftreatment.
Prevention
Measurestakenbeforeasubstance,materialorproducthasbecomewaste,that
reduce:(a)thequantityofwaste,includingthroughthereuseofproductsorthe
extensionofthelifespanofproducts;(b)theadverseimpactsofthegenerated
waste on the environment and human health; or (c) the content of harmful
substancesinmaterialsandproducts.
ProducerResponsibility
Initiatives(PRI)
A series of initiatives undertaken by the Government to facilitate better
managementofprioritywastestreams,inlinewiththe‘PolluterPaysPrinciple’.
ProximityPrinciple
The principle set out in the EU Framework Directive (91/156/EEC) whereby
memberstatesshouldestablishanetworkenablingwastetobedisposedofin
oneofthenearestappropriateinstallations,bymeansofthemostappropriate
methods and technologies to ensure a high level of protection for the
environmentandforpublichealth.
RamsarSites
Sites designated as internationally important wetland habitats under the
International Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (1976)
(RamsarConvention).
RMCEIPlan
RecommendedMinimumCriteriaforInspectionPlan
ReasonableAlternatives
Alternatives shouldtake into account theobjectives and geographicalscope of
theP/P.TherecanbedifferentwaysoffulfillingtheP/Pobjectives,orofdealing
with environmental problems. The alternatives should be realistic, capable of
implementationandshouldfallwithinthelegalandgeographicalcompetenceof
theauthorityconcerned
Recovery
Means any operation the principal result of which is waste serving a useful
purposebyreplacingothermaterialswhichwouldotherwisehavebeenusedto
fulfilaparticularfunction,orwastebeingpreparedtofulfilthatfunction,inthe
plant or in the wider economy. Annex ii of the waste framework directive
(2008/98/EC) sets out a non–exhaustive list of recovery operations, which
includesmaterialrecovery(i.e.Recycling),energyrecovery(i.e.Useafuel(other
than in direct incineration) or other means to generate energy) and biological
recovery(e.g.composting).
Recycling
Means any recovery operation by which waste materials are reprocessed into
products,materialsorsubstanceswhetherfortheoriginalorotherpurposes.It
includes the reprocessing of organic material but does not include energy
recoveryandthereprocessingintomaterialsthataretobeusedasfuelsorfor
backfillingoperations.
RefuseDerivedFuels
(RDF)
Fuels produced from waste through a number of different processes such as
mechanicalseparation,blendingandcompressingtoincreasethecalorificvalue
of the waste. Such waste derived fuels can be comprised of paper, plastic and
other combustible wastes and can be combusted in a waste–to–energy plant,
cementkilnorindustrialfurnace.
ResidualMunicipalWaste
The fraction of municipal waste remaining after the source separation of
municipalwastefractions,suchasfoodandgardenwaste,packaging,paperand
paperboard,metals,glassandisusuallyunsuitableforrecoveryorrecycling.
ResidualWaste
Means the fraction of collected waste remaining after treatment and/or
diversionsteps,whichgenerallyrequiresfurthertreatmentordisposal.
Reuse
Meansanyoperationbywhichproductsorcomponentsthatarenotwasteare
usedagainforthesamepurposeforwhichtheywereconceived.
Scoping
theprocessofdecidingthecontentandlevelofdetailofanSEA,includingthe
key environmental issues, likely significant environmental effects and
alternatives which need to be considered, the assessment methods to be
employed,andthestructureandcontentsoftheEnvironmentalReport
Screening
ThedeterminationofwhetherimplementationofaP/Pwouldbelikelytohave
significant environmental effects on the environment. The process of deciding
whetheraP/PrequiresanSEA
SEADirective
Directive 2001/42/EC ‘on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and
programmesontheenvironment’
Astatementsummarising:
SEAStatement
howenvironmentalconsiderationshavebeenintegratedintotheP/P;howthe
ER, the opinions of the public, and designated authorities, and the results of
transboundaryconsultationshavebeentakenintoaccountand;thereasonsfor
choosingtheP/Pasadoptedinthelightofotherreasonablealternatives.
SignificantEffects
Effectsontheenvironment,includingonissuessuchasbiodiversity,population,
human health, fauna, flora, soil, water, air,
climatic factors, material assets, cultural
heritage including architectural and
archaeological heritage, landscape and the
interrelationshipbetweentheabovefactors.
High quality fuel derived from mechanically processing residual waste, which
must comply with the international standard, CEN/TC 343 (meet minimum
SolidRecoveredFuel(SRF)
standardsformoisturecontent,particlesize,metals,chloride,chlorinecontent
andcalorificvalue).
SpecialAreaof
Conservation
SAC)Sitedesignatedaccordingtothehabitatsdirective.
SpecialProtectionArea
SPA)SitedesignatedundertheEuropeanDirectiveontheConservationofWild
Birds
SurfaceWater
Meansinlandwaters,exceptgroundwater,whichareonthelandsurface(such
as reservoirs, lakes, rivers, transitional waters, coastal waters and,under some
circumstances,territorialwaters)whichoccurwithinariverbasin
ThermalTreatment
Aprocessbywhichheatisappliedtowasteinordertoreduceitsbulk,priorto
final disposal. Thermal treatment can involve a number of processes such as
incineration,pyrolysisandgasification.
Transboundary
Consultation
Ifaplanorprogrammeisbeingpreparedthatislikelytohavesignificanteffects
ontheenvironmentinanotherMemberState,orwhereaMemberStatelikely
tobesignificantlyaffectedsorequests,theMemberStateinwhoseterritorythe
plan or programme is being prepared shall, before the plan or programmes
adoptionorsubmissiontothelegislativeprocedure,forwardacopyofthedraft
planorprogrammeandtherelevantenvironmentalreporttotheotherMember
State.
TreatmentFacilities
Facilities where waste undergoes thermal, physical, chemical or biological
processesthatchangethecharacteristicsofwasteinordertoreduceitsvolume
orhazardousnatureorfacilitateitshandling,disposalorrecovery.
Treatment
Includes, in relation to waste, any manual, thermal, physical, chemical or
biologicalprocessesthatchangethecharacteristicsofwasteinordertoreduce
itsmass,orhazardousnatureorotherwise,tofacilitateitshandling,disposalor
recovery.
UnmanagedHousehold
Waste
Estimateofthequantityofwastegeneratedbyhouseholdsbutnotcapturedvia
oneofthekerbsideornonkerbsidecollectionsystems.
Upcycling
Upcyclingistakinganitemthatisnolongerneededorwantedandgivingitnew
lifeassomethingthatiseitherusefulorcreative.
Waste
Definedasanysubstanceorobjectwhichtheholderdiscards,intendstodiscard
orisrequiredtodiscard,bytheWasteFrameworkDirective(2008/98/EC).
WasteCollectionPermit
System
A system whereby persons with a view to profit or otherwise in the course of
business,collectwastearegrantedwithapermitbyaLocalAuthorityinwhose
functionalareathewasteiscollected.
WasteElectricaland
ElectronicEquipment
(WEEE)
Referstoelectricalandelectronicequipmentwhichiswastewithinthemeaning
of Article 3(a) of the Waste Directive 2008/98/EC, including all components,
subassemblies and consumables which are part of the product at the time of
discarding.
WasteFramework
Directive(WFD)
WasteDirective2008/98/ECof19November2008.
WasteManagement
Means the collection, transport, recovery and disposal of waste, including the
supervisionofsuchoperationsandtheafter–careofdisposalsites,andincluding
actionstakenasadealerorbroker.
WasteMinimisation
Any technique, process or activity that either avoids, reduces or eliminates
wasteatitssource,orresultsinreuseorrecycling.
WastetoEnergyPlant
(ThermalTreatment)
A plant where waste undergoes thermal treatment with a recovery of energy
due to the fact that the waste itself contains large amounts of thermal energy
ready to be liberated either by combustion or by synthesis gas production
followed by combustion. The energy that is recovered is often used to supply
electricity.
WaterFramework
Directive
The Water Framework Directive is a new piece of European legislation that
promotesanewapproachtowatermanagementthroughriverbasinplanning.
Thelegislationaddressesinlandsurfacewaters,estuarinewaters,coastalwaters
andgroundwater.