IRISH ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION

These Regulations prescribe quality standards to be applied by local and sanitary authorities when licensing discharges of effluents containing EDC, TRI, PER and TCB to waters or to sewers under the provisions of the Local Government (Water Pollution) Act, 1977 as amended by the Local Government (Water Pollution) (Amendment) Act, 1990 . The Regulations give effect to Council Directive 90/415/EEC on limit values and quality objectives for discharges of certain dangerous substances included in List I of the Annex to Council Directive 76/464/EEC.

The effect of this Order is to alter the boundaries of the Shannon and Eastern Fisheries Regions by the inclusion of Lough Lene in the Eastern Fisheries Board Region and by the exclusion of Lough Lene from the Shannon Fisheries Board Region

The Environmental Protection Agency (Extension of Powers) Order, 1994 which comes into effect on 1 August, 1994 provides for the following:

(1) The application of specified sections of the Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts, 1977 and 1990 and of the Air Pollution Act, 1987 to the Agency

(2) Any function of a local or sanitary authority or anything which is required to be done in relation to a local or sanitary authority, under any of the specified sections, shall be exercised by, or done to, the Agency in lieu of the local or sanitary authority.

(3) A general prohibition on local authorities or sanitary authorities from exercising any of the above functions in relation to activities licensed by the Agency.

(4) The notification of accidental discharges or emissions, spillages or other "incidents" to the Agency, in addition to the local or sanitary authority.

(5) The amendment, where necessary, of the specified sections of the Water Pollution Acts and the Air Pollution Act as set out in the First and Second Schedules.

The powers being extended to the Agency include:

application to the High Court for an Order requiring the prohibition, termination or reduction of a discharge or emission, and in the event of non-compliance, the Agency may undertake the actions specified in the Court Order and recover its costs from the offender

the service of notices specifying the measures, and the periods within which they shall be undertaken, necessary to prevent air or water pollution,

prosecution of offences under general prohibitions on air and water pollution i.e. from emissions or circumstances not dealt with in the integrated licence,

entry, inspection, monitoring, the gathering of information and prosecutions for the purposes of the proposed extended powers,

the recovery of the Agency’s costs of taking proceedings and the payment of fines to the Agency in certain circumstances

These Regulations, which came into effect on the 18th day of July, 1994, prescribe the classes, descriptions and grades of employees of the Agency and other persons to whom section 37 of the Act of 1992 applies. These Regulations also prescribe the form of declaration of interest to the Agency under section 37 of the Act

This Order, which comes into effect on the 18th of July, 1994, provides that sections 36 (2) and 36 (3) of the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992 , shall not apply to employees of the Agency whose maximum remuneration does not exceed the maximum remuneration of Level 6 in the employment of the Agency.

These Regulations prescribe quality standards for shellfish waters and designate the waters to which they apply, together with sampling and analysis procedures to be used to determine compliance with the standards. The Regulations give effect to Council Directive 79/923/EEC of 30 October 1979 on the quality required of shellfish waters.

The Order prescribes fees payable in respect of surveys and certifications and endorsements of tankers and other ships used for the carriage of oil and noxious liquid substances in bulk

These Regulations prohibit the issue of first licences for certain new vehicles from 1 October, 1994 unless the vehicles conform to the air pollutant emission control requirements of Directive 9¼41/EEC as amended by Directive 93/59/EEC. Exceptions are made, in accordance with Directive 93/81/EEC, for end of series vehicles for a limited period subject to specified conditions.