Tag Archives: EPA

Ireland’s bathing waters are of still of a very high standard, even if they are a bit cooler than popular European holiday destinations, according to the EPA. Around three-quarters of all Irish bathing waters (128 coastal and 9 inland waters) met the new stricter standard of ‘Excellent’ quality based on an assessment of data for the period 2011-2014. Eleven bathing waters in County Clare achieved the ‘Excellent’ standard rating, including Ballyallia Lake, Ballycuggeran, Bishopsquater, Cappagh Pier in Kilrush, Fanore, Kilkee, Lahinch, Mountshannon, Lough Derg, Spanish Point and White Strand – Doonbeg and Miltown Malbay. Current water quality at most sites around the country is extremely good with only a few problems having been reported to SPLASH (splash.epa.ie), the national bathing water website. The website has an interactive, colour-coded map that allows people to check out any of the 137 EU identified bathing waters. Peter Webster, senior scientist at the EPA and author of the 2014 Bathing Water report commented, “Despite …

  A home in Ennis was found to have more than three times the acceptable level for radon gas, the equivalent to receiving two chest x-rays a day, according to figures revealed by the EPA’s Office of Radiological Protection. The details emerged as the EPA raised concerns about the low rate of testing for the cancer-causing gas in Clare. The figures show that in the first six months of 2015, three homes in Ennis and one in Doolin tested above the acceptable level of 200 becquerels per cubic metre (Bq/m3), with one home in Ennis measuring levels of 620Bq/m3. However, according to the EPA, the rate of testing in Clare is very low, with only 26 homes having been tested for radon in the first six months of 2015. A total of 4,301 homes have been tested in Clare to date and, of these, 538 tested above 200 Bq/m3. Commenting on the latest findings from the county, Stephanie Long, senior scientist with the …

ELEVEN of the EU identified bathing waters in County Clare achieved compliance with the new stricter standards of ‘Excellent ‘ or ‘Good’ bathing water quality according to the most recent Environmental Protection Agency report, The Quality of Bathing Water in Ireland – 2014. Those waters which achieved the excellent standard rating included Ballyallia Lake, Ballycuggeran, Bishopsquater, Cappagh Pier Kilrush, Fanore, Kilkee, Lahinch, Mountshannon, Lough Derg, Spanish Point and White Strand – Doonbeg and Miltown Malbay. Throughout 2014, Local Authorities tested 136 EU identified bathing waters together with many other smaller, or less well used, waters with 94% of identified bathing areas meeting new stricter EU standards. These are almost twice as strict as those previously applied. The EPA advises bathers in County Clare that they can check current bathing water quality using the Splash website, splash.epa.ie. The website has an interactive, colour-coded map that allows people to check out any of the 136 EU identified bathing waters. Before deciding on the …

THE ongoing saga over the start of phase two of the asbestos pipe removal in Kilkee took a further twist on Wednesday, when Kilkee resident PJ Linnane told The Clare Champion that Clare County Council had agreed to give residents the contractors method statement relating to how contractors proposed to remove the asbestos pipes. Last week, the council had explained it could not present a copy of the method statement to residents due to commercial concerns. Mr Linnane maintains that phase two is due to start on Monday next, having been postponed from last Monday. “Clare County Council have finally agreed to give us the method statement risk assessment on phase two of the asbestos removal. As it is now the 11th hour and phase two is starting on Monday, June 14, we haven’t yet received the documents,” Mr Linanne said. In a statement last week, Clare County Council said a medical report received by the local authority and made …

WORK due to begin today (Monday) on phase two of the asbestos pipe clean up operation in Kilkee has been postponed until Wednesday at the earliest. Talks are currently ongoing between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Clare County Council and the HSE regarding the provision of a “method statement” to local residents. Last week, Kilkee resident PJ Linnane said that unless residents living close to the dump sites were provided with a full method statement by Clare County Council, they would stop contractors from starting phase two of the clean up work on Monday. “I met with some of the locals and a decision was taken that if the council were not to provide us with the documents, the only option open to us was to bar the site on Monday and lock and chain the access to the contractors,” he told The Clare Champion. A  report completed last year concluded that the instances of asbestos pipe dumping at a number of …

THE Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has “reservations” with the method statement for phase two of the clean-up operation of asbestos pipes at a disused reservoir near a Kilkee man’s home, it has been claimed. PJ Linnane said unless residents living close to the dump sites are provided with a full method statement by Clare County Council, they will stop contractors from starting phase two of the clean-up work on Monday (tomorrow). “I met with some of the locals over the weekend and a decision was taken that if the council does not provide us with the documents, the only option open to us is to bar the site on Monday and lock and chain the access to the contractors,” he said. Clare County Council said in a statement that a medical report received by the local authority and made publicly available states there is “no evidence of risk” to the public, arising from the current state of the sites in …

ONE in every three household septic tanks surveyed in Clare failed an inspection test conducted by Clare County Council inspectors. According to council figures, Clare’s 33% failure rate, following an inspection of 55 domestic wastewater treatment systems, was below the national average of 52%. There are 28,000 septic tanks in Clare and only a tiny percentage of these were inspected in line with the annual target, which is set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), independently of the council. Council senior engineer, Paul Moroney confirmed that most of the failures were caused by inadequate de-sludging and/or operation and maintenance issues of septic tanks. Mr Moroney said these deficiencies, which were not caused by faults with the system, could be remedied by regular maintenance and de-sludging by an approved contractor, who has a waste permit to dispose of this material properly. The council engineer explained it wasn’t simply a case of emptying a septic tank, as an approved contractor had the …

Real-time air quality results for Clare are available on the Environmental Protection Agency website. Results are updated hourly on the website,ww.airquality.epa.ie and Clare residents can log on at any time to check whether the current air quality in their locality is good, fair or poor. In reminding the public of this resource, the EPA is urging Clare householders to consider air quality when making choices about home heating and transport, as both of these activities can negatively impact air quality in Clare. The appeal comes as the EPA has released their most recent air quality report, Air Quality in Ireland 2013 – Key Indicators of Ambient Air Quality. The report indicates that while Ireland’s air quality is currently among the best in Europe, air quality remains at risk from emissions generated from driving, particularly in larger urban areas, and from the burning of domestic solid fuel for home heating, particularly in small towns and villages not covered by smoky coal …