IRISH ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION

These Regulations have been introduced to ensure that by-products, collected by intermediaries, which are subsequently fed to animals whose flesh is not intended for human consumption, must be processed to the time, temperature and pressure parameters set out in the 1998 Regulations.

The Regulations increase the fees chargeable by authorised testers for carrying out tests in accordance with the Vehicle Testing Regulations.

The purpose of these Regulations is to transpose Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March, 1997 (O.J. No. 73/5, 14 March, 1997) relating to environmental impact assessment into Irish law. The Regulations contain amendments to the European Communities (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations, 1989 to 1998, and to provisions relating to environmental impact assessment in Local Government (Planning and Development) Acts, 1963 to 1998, and a number of other Acts, The Regulations come into operation on 1 May, 1999

The amendments enable a person who is required to submit an environmental impact statement in respect of a proposed development to request the competent authority concerned to provide an opinion on the information to be contained in the statement. They also re-state and extend certain existing provisions, including those relating to the classes of development which require an environmental impact statement, and the procedures to be followed in the case of a proposed development which would be located on an environmentally sensitive site or be likely to have significant effects on the environment in another Member State of the European Communities.

Further amendments to the planning system to give effect to Directive 97/11/EC are contained in the Local Government (Planning and Development) Regulations, 1999 (S.I. No. 92 of 1999

 

These Regulations amend the Planning Regulations, 1994 to 1998, principally to reflect the provisions of Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March, 1997 (O.J. No. 73/5, 14 March, 1997) relating to environmental impact assessment. The Regulations come into operation on 1 May, 1999.

The amendments provide for matters of procedure in relation to a request to a planning authority for an opinion on the information which should be contained in an environmental impact statement. These procedures also apply to appeals to An Bord Pleanála and to applications to the Minister for the Environment and Local Government for the certification of proposed local authority development. The amendments also extend the procedures to be followed in the case of a proposed development which would be located on an environmentally sensitive site or be likely to have significant effects on the environment in another Member State of the European Communities.

The Regulations also provide that certain fish farming development which is licensed under the Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 1997 , is exempted development for the purposes of the Planning Acts. Amendments to the Planning Acts and other enactments containing provision relating to environmental impact assessment are contained in the European Communities (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Amendment) Regulations, 1999 ( S.I. No. 93 of 1999 ).

These Regulations amend Part VI of the Local Government (Water Pollution) Regulations, 1992. The purpose is to extend the application of certain water quality standards under those Regulations to a wider range of functions performed by local authorities, the Environmental Protection Agency and An Bord Pleanala under the Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts, the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992 and the Waste Management Act, 1996 .

These Regulations are intended to provide additional protection for groundwater against discharges of certain dangerous substances. The Regulations prohibit the discharge by sanitary authorities of certain dangerous substances to groundwater, and provide for controls by the Environmental Protection Agency, by way of a licensing system, in relation to discharges of other such substances by sanitary authorities

The Regulations are made under the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992 and give further effect to EU Council Directive 80/68/EEC ("the Groundwater Directive").

These Regulations transpose articles 2, 3, 5 and 11(1)(d) of Directive 96/62/EC on ambient air quality assessment and management into Irish law.

The Regulations make the Environmental Protection Agency the competent authority and body for the purposes of implementing the Directive, provide for the preliminary assessment of ambient air quality and notification to the Commission of the European Communities of the methods used for this purpose.

An Act to give effect to the international convention on oil pollution preparedness, response and co-operation, 1990, done at London on the 30th day of November 1990, to amend The Sea Pollution Act, 1991, and to provide for related matters.