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EPA to postpone oral hearing on proposed licence for Irish Cement, Limerick due to COVID-19

Date released: April 07, 2020

This is due to the current COVID-19 restrictions. The oral hearing was scheduled to be held in May.

Information in relation to the location and time of the rescheduled oral hearing will be notified to the applicant, all third parties who have made an objection on the proposed licence and the planning authority well in advance of the rescheduled hearing.

Further information on the oral hearing process is available on the EPA website.

Notes to Editor

The EPA issued a proposed licence on a revised licence to Irish Cement Limited, Castlemungret, Limerick, Co. Limerick on the 18th of September 2019, for the continued operation of a cement manufacturing plant and an associated inert landfill at Castlemungret, Co. Limerick (Reg. No. P0029-06).

The proposed licence provides for the acceptance of non-hazardous waste materials to be used as alternative fuels and raw materials, up to a maximum of 90,000 tonnes per annum. The proposed licence contains more than 100 individual conditions relating to the environmental management, operation, control and monitoring of the installation.

The EPA has considered the application and supporting documentation, including:

  • an Environmental Impact Statement, received from the applicant
  • a Natura Impact Statement, required under the Habitats Directive, received from the applicant
  • four thousand one hundred and eighty (4,180) valid submissions received from other parties and
  • the report of its inspector.

Public participation and consultation with statutory consultees was carried out during this EPA licence assessment process.

The EPA is satisfied that the emissions from the installation when operated in accordance with the conditions of the proposed licence will meet all required environmental protection standards and will not endanger human health or harm the environment in the vicinity of the installation or over a wider area.

Conditions imposed include:

  • The total quantity of non-hazardous waste to be accepted at the facility is limited to 90,000 tonnes per annum;
  • Controls on emissions to air;
  • Controls on discharges to waters; and
  • Specific requirements for emissions monitoring and environmental management systems in accordance with relevant European Standards

The proposed licence was notified to the applicant, all third parties who made a submission on the application and other statutory consultees and is available on the EPA website. Six third party requests for an oral hearing, stating that they reflect the concerns of in excess of 4,000 people, were received and considered by the Board of the EPA. The Board considered that an Oral Hearing is merited given the scale, sensitivity of the local environment and the importance of the proposed development both nationally and regionally.

Further information on the licensing process can be found on the EPA website.

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