Three firms have been named by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as having the poorest compliance record with regulations in the first three months of this year.
They are Kingspan Building Products Limited, of Co Cavan, Timoleague Agri Gen Limited, of Co Cork, and the Tipperary Co-operative Creamery Limited. The three, involved respectively in the chemical, anaerobic digestion and food and drink sectors, were named in the EPA’s latest Industrial and Waste Licence Enforcement Summary.
It says their three sites together comprise the EPA’s entire national priority sites list for the first quarter of 2025 . The list sets out the “sites with the poorest compliance record”.
The EPA said the issues of concern with Kingspan were related to “chemical emissions to air and facility management”. The issues related to Timoleague Agri Gen were “anaerobic digestion infrastructure and facility management”. The issues related Tipperary Co-Operative Creamery were “food and drink discharges to water and infrastructure”.
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In a look back at enforcement of industrial and waste licences last year, the EPA noted that 10 of its 905 licensed sites were identified as national priority locations.
The list included: discharges to water from Aurivo Consumer Foods Limited, Co Donegal; waste leachate management at Galway’s Carrowbrowne landfill; and odour issues at Wellman International Ltd, Co Meath.
Other issues included: intensive agriculture discharges to water at CRM Pigs Limited, Co Cavan; an anaerobic odour issue at Glenmore Biogas, Co Donegal; discharges to water from North Cork Co-Op Creameries Limited Cork; waste discharges to water from Starrus Eco Holdings Limited, Waterford City; anaerobic digestion infrastructure at Timoleague Agri Gen Limited Cork; and food and drink discharges to water at Tipperary Co-Op Creamery Limited.
The EPA said 54 sites have appeared on the list since it was first published in 2017.
Tom Ryan, director of the EPA Office of Environmental Enforcement, said recent convictions in the courts of two sites on the agency’s priority list – Killarney Waste Disposal Unlimited Company in 2024 and Aurivo Dairy Ingredients Ltd this year – “attracted fines and penalties of €500,000 and €350,000 respectively”.
However, he said “with the appropriate management commitment to environmental protection” all of these sites can comply with statutory requirements and “be good neighbours to local communities”.
