Country's largest pork processor on list of agri-food business failing to meet environmental standards
The country’s biggest pork processor has been placed on a list of five Agri-Food businesses for failing to meet the required environmental standards.
The Environmental Protection Agency says the sector is the worst offender when it comes to pollution.
Arrow Group food processors in Kildare, Lacpatrick dairies in Monaghan, Starrus Eco waste firm in Cork, Western Brand poultry plant in Mayo and the country’s largest pork processor, Rosderra in Edenderry, have been identified on a national priority list.
Mary Gurrie from the EPA said: "Two of the sites on the list are there primarily because of nuisance, odour and noise complaints. The remainder are there largely due to poor management practices on site and particularly issues with their wastewater plans where they can't meet their limits that are set in the licence and there is a potential risk of water pollution."
The agri-food sector is the worst culprit for industrial waste management offences.
That is according to the latest report on industrial waste from the Environmental Protection Agency for 2017.
Twenty-two successful prosecutions were carried out last with fines totalling over €374,000.
The food and drink sector had the highest rate of compliance issues.
Mary Gurrie from the EPA, says the sector may be a victim of its own success.
She said: "The recent expansion of that sector in terms of the dairy plants and some of the slaughtering plants that some of them haven't made the necessary investment in advance and haven't put the effort into ensuring they could comply with the licence.
"The increased activity is giving rise to risk of things like odours and noise so we are seeing an increased number of complaints about those types of sites."
