Report on Waste Licensing

This is the first report on waste licensing in Ireland and covers the period from March 1997 to the end of 1999. A new system of waste licensing was introduced in Ireland in March 1997 under the Waste Management Act, 1996. The Environmental Protection Agency was given responsibility for licensing all significant waste recovery and disposal activities. This is the first report on waste licensing and it covers the period from March 1997 to the end of 1999. An earlier report, Local Authority Landfill Sites in Ireland: A report for 1995-1997, published by the EPA provides useful data for an assessment of progress in the management of such landfills. A comparison of the two reports shows that significant progress in the design, construction, management, operation, monitoring, restoration and aftercare of such landfills has occurred. However, and this applies to all waste facilities, the advent of waste licensing, on its own, does not mean an automatic improvement or sudden adoption of best practice. This requires a determined effort by all involved and an acceptance that times have changed. The EPA, for its part, undertakes to process licence applications and enforce all waste licences in an effective, open and transparent manner. All waste licences issued place emphasis on good management. The EPA believes that good management requires two things; good managers and good systems and we are encouraging both. We also strongly believe in, and always encourage, good communications - two-way communication between the licensee and the Agency but also communication with concerned and interested people and bodies. All files and correspondence relating to a waste licence application held by the EPA are available to the public and all proposed decisions and licences are placed on our website, www.epa.ie One of the strengths of the waste licensing system is the opportunity for the involvement of those concerned and the general public in the decision making process and by December 1999 over 7,500 submissions on waste licensing applications had been made. The EPA welcomes such involvement and has found it of significant assistance in making decisions. Having issued waste licences the emphasis shifts to enforcement and compliance. The EPA considers compliance to be fundamentally important and takes its enforcement role seriously. Each licensed facility is inspected regularly by the EPA. These inspections are almost always unannounced. Each facility is also audited once a year. Independent monitoring of the facility is also carried out by the EPA on an annual basis. This EPA enforcement activity is in addition to the monitoring and record keeping which is required of each licensee. The EPA looks forward to continuing the work of raising Waste Management standards. We are conscious of the pressing need for the necessary infrastructure to be put in place for the separate collection, recovery and safe disposal of waste so that a truly integrated approach to waste prevention and management becomes standard practice in Ireland. Finally, the support and assistance received to Waste Licensing from licensees, the public, consultants, EPA staff, and from other statutory bodies is gratefully acknowledged.

Table of Contents:
PREFACE v 1. INTRODUCTION 1 The Regulation of Waste in Ireland 1 Public Information 3 2. WASTE LICENCE APPLICATIONS 5 The Application Process 5 - Information to Applicants 9 - Fees 9 - The Validation of an Application 9 - The Technical Assessment 11 - Notification of Specified Bodies 11 - Submissions 12 - The Decision on a Licence Application 12 - Objections 13 - Oral Hearings 14 Processing Times for Waste License Applications 14 Local Authority Waste Permits 14 Registration of Local Authority Waste Recovery Activities 15 3. WASTE LICENCING 16 Licences Granted 16 Licence Content 16 - Reporting to the EPA 16 4. ENFORCEMENT & COMPLIANCE - 1998 & 1999 20 Reports & Reporting 20 Inspections & Audits 22 Complaints Received 23 Licence Compliance 1998-9 23 - Legal Action 25 Significant Issues from Licensing to date 27 - Landfill gas 27 - Discharges to groundwater 27 - Odour Management 27 - Site Management & Staffing 28 - Communications Programme 28 5. OVERVIEW / CONCLUSIONS 29 Licensing Progress to the end of 1999 29 Capacity Licensed 29 Progress in Landfill Management Standards 30 Developments since the 1998 Landfill Report 30 Licence Review 31 Enforcement at Unauthorised Waste Facilities 31 Land Spreading 32 Mobile Plant Licencing 33 Waste Management Training 33 APPENDICES Appendix 1 - Prescribed dates for Waste Licence Applications 35 Appendix 2 - Status of Applications at end of 1999 37 Appendix 3 - Submissions Received by end of 1999 41 Appendix 4 - Waste Licensing Fees 44 Appendix 5 - Waste Permits Notified to the EPA by Local Authorities 45 Appendix 6 - Publications, Presentations & Other External Relations Activities by the EPA on Waste Management Topics 1997-1999 46