European Commission decision to pursue legal action against Ireland for breaches of EU environmental law welcomed
Issued: 11 April 2005
11th April 2005
Green Party Chairman, John Gormley TD, today welcomed the decision of the European Commission to pursue legal action against Ireland for breaches of EU environmental law, including a failure to put in place rules for preventing serious odour problems from the Ringsend wastewater treatment plant.
Mr. Gormley, who initiated the official complaint in respect of the Ringsend plant, said that there were serious problems at the plant which the Minister could no longer ignore. ?I welcome the fact that the European Commission is now taking action against Ireland for failing to implement the EU Framework Directive on Waste in respect of malodours from sewage treatment plants, for improper implementation of the directive on Environmental Impact Statements, and for failure to provide information on the regulation of substances that deplete the ozone layer. This confirms Ireland's status as the environmental delinquents of Europe and the Irish Government's cavalier attitude towards EU directives.?
?I was forced to initiate this official complaint because I got no response from the Irish Government. I call on Minister Roche now to officially investigate why this plant is still in its commissioning phase as we face into our third summer since its opening. He should also explain why sludge from this plant is being taken down to Carlow when we were told that the sludge would be processed into a fertiliser product,? concluded Deputy Gormley.
Information
John Gormley TD 618 3019 / 087 275 6135
Elaine Walsh Press Office 618 3852 / 087 914 8175
See text of original complaint below;
The following is a letter of official complaint to the European Commission from Green Party Chairman John Gormley TD with regard to the sewage treatment plant in Ringsend.
3 June 2004
Mr. George Kremlis,
Head of Legal Unit,
Bu9 DG-ENV,
European Commission,
200 rue de la Loi,
Brussels,
Belgium.
Dear Mr. Kremlis,
I wish to make an official complaint about the operation of the new sewage treatment plant in Ringsend, Dublin 4, Ireland. This plant, which was billed as Europe's most modern, is experiencing serious technical difficulties. This is resulting not only in a very bad smell locally but also in poorer than expected water quality, as 25% of the sewage sludge is now going into the bay twice a week. I believe what is occurring is in breach of Directive 75/442/EEC, and
I understand that the Commission has already been in correspondence with the Irish Government on this matter.
I would ask you, therefore, to fully investigate the cause of this problem. In particular, I would ask you to examine the relevant data collected so far and to recommend a solution to the current difficulties. I write to you, not only as a politician that represents this area, but also as a local resident who has had to suffer the consequences of the plant's mismanagement. Last summer, local residents found, very often, that they could not go outside to enjoy the sunshine and had to keep their windows closed, such was the severity of the smell. Another summer of odour nuisance would, frankly, be intolerable.
Odour nuisance incidents, which are often dependant on the direction of the wind, are now so frequent that it hardly makes sense to document separate occurrences. The new sewage treatment plant is adversely affecting people's quality of life in Ringsend, Sandymount, Ballsbridge and beyond.
I appeal to you therefore to treat this matter very seriously indeed. I look forward to your response.
Yours sincerely,
John Gormley, TD