75% of local authorities improved eco performance
The Environmental Protection Agency has said that 23 out of 31 local authorities increased their enforcement activity between 2014 and 2016. But local authorities now need to target inspections to improve air quality in towns; better manage food-recycling; and reduce the illegal dumping of tyres.
The agency used 26 indicators to measure local authorities’ environment-enforcement performance and found that 29 (93%) have met the target standard.
While councils’ national environmental-enforcement performance was static between 2014 and 2015, it improved last year.
Last year, local authorities undertook 140,000 environmental inspections, 15,000 enforcement procedures, and 400 prosecutions. They also handled 60,000 environmental complaints, such as illegal dumping, water pollution, and air and noise complaints.
The programme manager at the EPA’s office of environmental enforcement, Darragh Page, said the review mapped out where improvements can be targeted, both nationally and locally.
“To protect our health and the environment, we are recommending that local authorities target inspections, particularly to improve air quality and manage our waste streams to increase recycling levels.”
The EPA has highlighted areas where local authorities need to take stronger enforcement measures.
Councils have been urged to improve controls on the burning of solid fuels, in a bid to reduce the 1,500 deaths associated with air pollution.
“Inspections need to target fuel quality and labelling and should take a multi-agency approach to implement the upcoming, nationwide smoky coal ban,” it said. Improved management of waste tyres will reduce the number illegally dumped in the countryside and minimise toxic fire threats.
Next year, local authorities should focus on inspections of retailers to drive compliance with the new scheme, the EPA’s recommended.
Also, improving the segregation of household food waste and enforcing the brown-bin collection services would increase recycling, avoid odour nuisance, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“This can be achieved via public awareness campaigns and inspections of waste collectors,” it said.
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