The Office of Environmental Enforcement and Waste Regulation

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The Office of Environmental Enforcement and Waste
Regulation

• Valerie Doyle
• Enforcement Network Co-ordinator
• Office of Environmental Enforcement

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The Office of Environmental Enforcement
An Office dedicated to the implementation and
enforcement of environmental legislation in
Ireland
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The Goal

• Those who flout environmental law and cause
  environmental pollution as a result of their
  actions must, as a matter of course, be held
• to account

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Organisational Structure
OFFICE OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE Strategic
Planning, Corporate Governance and External
Relations
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
DIRECTOR GENERAL
Office of Environmental Enforcement
Office of Communications and Corporate Service
Office of Licensing and Guidance
Office of Environmental Assessment
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The Role

• Enforcing EPA licences (IPPC and Waste)
• Auditing Local Authorities
• Taking action against Local Authorities lagging
  behind
• Prosecution (both on its own and by assisting
  Local Authorities)
• Assisting Local Authorities through an
  Enforcement Network

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The Role (continued)

• Improve coordination of enforcement activities in
  Ireland
• Actively communicate its actions
• Raise awareness of the importance of enforcement
• Better quality enforcement, and
• An improvement in overall compliance with
  Environmental Protection Legislation

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Enforcement of EPA Licences

• Enforcement Plan
• Audits and Inspections
• Monitoring
• Report Assessment
• Enforcement Actions
• Reporting on activities

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Enforcement Network

• Overall objective
• Foster co-operation between the various agencies
  involved in enforcement of environmental
  legislation so that a higher and more consistent
  standard of enforcement is achieved throughout
  the country.
• Will involve
• EPA, Local Authorities and Other bodies with
  Environmental Enforcement responsibilities
• Other organisations for specific working groups

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Consistent Better Enforcement
LAs
DEHLG
OEE LE
OEE PA
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The Enforcement Network
National Steering Committee
Waste Network
Water Network
Other Networks
Working Groups Suir Surface Water Erne/Blackwater
Surface Water
Working Groups Transfrontier Shipment of
Waste Unauthorised Waste Activities Farm
Plastics Packaging
Working Groups
Working Groups Minimum Criteria for Environmental
Inspection Complaints Cross Compliance
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Unauthorised Waste Activities

• Unauthorised Waste Activities include illegal
  dumping, illegal collection and transportation of
  waste
• Objectives
• Tackle illegal cross-border movement of waste
• Identify compaines and individulas involved in
  illegal movement of waste into Northern Ireland
• Bring a halt to Unauthorised Waste Activity
  within the Republic of Ireland
• Deal with illegal movement and disposal of waste
  in the Republic of Ireland
• Remediate illegal sites where necessary
• Actively manage complaints on Unauthorised Waste
  Activity

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Unauthorised Waste Activities

• Unauthorised Waste Activities include illegal
  dumping, illegal collection and transportation of
  waste
• Actions to Date
• Consultancy Contract to determine the level of
  UWA in the Country
• Creation of a National Network on UWA and
• Creation of 6 Regional Networks
• Undertaking of two national concerted actions in
  conjunction with Gardai and the PSNI
• Training of 60 Enforcement Officers in the
  investigation and prosecution of UWA
• Recording and reporting of enforcement actions

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Transfrontier Shipment of Waste

• EU Regulation 253/93
• The requirements in relation to waste movement
  relate to the type of waste being moved and is
  classified into three lists
• Green
• Amber
• Red
• Where waste is classified as Amber or Red list
  waste, there is a requirement for pre-approval of
  the Shipment by the Competent Authorities of
  Dispatch, Transit and Destination.
• In Ireland, the Local Authorities are the
  Competent Authorities of Dispatch
• Green List Waste must be accompanied by a
  shipment certificate but need not be pre approved
  before shipment.

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Transfrontier Shipment of Waste

• Movements of waste across borders are controlled
  by the TFS regulation including movements to
  Northern Ireland from the Republic
• Actions to Date
• Creation of a Working Group to develop Best
  Practice Guidance for Local Authorities
• Seminar on TFS Enforcment for Local Authorities
• A Series of Inspections at Irish Ports
• Development of international communications with
  Other Countries
• Taking part in European projects, including joint
  port inspections in Dublin, Cork, Rotterdam and
  Antwerp

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Farm Plastics Enforcement

• Producer Responsibility Initiative
• Producers or/and Importers of Farm Films are
  required to either join a compliance scheme or
  register with their Local Authority
• Actions to Date
• Development of an Inspection Protocol for Local
  Authorities

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Packaging Enforcement

• Packaging Enforcment Network set up by DOEHLG at
  end of 2001
• Network was extended to all Local Authorities in
  January 2004
• Office of Environmental Enforcement took over the
  organisation of the Network in September 2004
• Working Group set up in August 2004 to support
  the Network

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Packaging Enforcement

• Activities of the Working Group on Packaging
• Identify non compliant Major Producers and to
  prioritise enforcement action
• Protocal for investigating Major Producers
• National Network of Packaging Enforcement
  Officers
• Circa 60 Enforcement Officers from 34 Local
  Authorities,
• Concerted Action on List of Suspects
• Self Complier Inspections
• Inspections Producer Responsibility
• Reporting on Enforcement activities
• Identification on enforcement priorities

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Packaging Enforcement

• Inspections in last year- 6034
• Suspect Major producers list 1454
• Major producers identified up to Mar 05 180

• 68 now REPAK members
• 48 have advised that they are joining REPAK
• 19 Registered Self Compliers
• 20 have advised that they are registering as Self
  Compliers
• 25 to be brought into compliance with the
  Regulations

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Summary of Prosecutions Enforcement actions

• OEE Actions
• 37 prosecutions since OEE established
• 10 in 2005
• 19 cases on hand
• Actions in 2004
• 1135 inspections
• 8 statutory notices
• 718 other

• LA Actions 2004
• 270 prosecutions under WMA
• 2114 inspections on permitted sites
• 6034 inspections on packaging regulations
• 1363 statutory notices
• 3183 others

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Summary

• OEE is dedicated to the implementation and
  enforcement of Environmental Legislation in
  Ireland
• Its role includes assisting Local Authorities in
  the undertaking of enforcement activities to
  achieve
• Better quality enforcement, and
• An improvement in overall compliance with
  Environmental Protection legislation
• The Enforcement Network is the means to achieve
  this end and the emphasis of the Network is on
  better Enforcement of Waste Legislation
• www.epa.ie
• www.enforcementnetwork.ie

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