The European Union (Water Policy) Regulations 2014 places new obligations on Local Authorities in coordinating the catchment management and public participation elements of the Water Framework Directive.  It assigns responsibility to Local Authorities for regional coordination, public participation, and support to the Minister and the EPA in the development and implementation of the River Basin...

The Water Framework Directive was introduced by the European Union to protect and improve water quality in rivers, lakes, estuaries, costal waters and groundwater. Under this directive a River Basin Management Plan and Programme of Measures is drawn up every six years and sets out how public bodies, stakeholders and local communities can work together...

The EPA has published figures for EPA Industrial and Waste Licence enforcements in 2015.  The report gives examples to the types of Compliance Investigations which were carried out and the outcomes. The EPA initiates a Compliance Investigation when it encounters a situation in a licensed facility, which they deem to be a substantial risk or...

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is the measurement of the anticipated effects of a proposed project or development on the environment. The purpose of the EIA process is to ensure that: All projects that are likely to have a significant impact on the environment are assessed. People are fully aware of the likely effects of the...

An Appropriate Assessment involves a case by case examination of the implications of a development or activity for a Natura 2000 site and its conservation objectives. The EU Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) placed an obligation on Member States of the EU to establish the Natura 2000 Network.  The Natura 2000 Network is a network of important...

Environmental management has a raft of legislation associated with it covering air emissions water, waste water, integrated pollution control now known as industrial emissions. Environmental management has significant implications for business in terms of legal compliance, cost and technical measures to be implemented. How you address environmental management can have a significant bearing on your business and profitability. There are...

The Environmental Liability Directive 2004/35/EC establishes a framework based on the “polluter pays” principle to prevent and remediate environmental damage. The economic operator bears the financial consequences from harm or damage  caused to the environment Where environmental damage has not yet occurred: The operator shall, without delay, take measures to inform the competent authority of all aspects...

Most companies use chemicals in one way or another. They are essential for our way of life and our economy, but they have to be managed safely so as to protect human health and the environment. Equal standards for the manufacturing, supply and safe use of chemicals apply across the entire European Economic Area (EEA) to...

Major industrial accidents involving dangerous substances pose a significant threat to humans and the environment; such accidents can give rise to serious injury to people or serious damage to the environment, both on and off the site of the accident. In Europe, a catastrophic accident in the Italian town of Seveso in 1976 prompted the...

In January 2015, ECHA published its REACH registration 2018 Roadmap, which splits the registration into seven phases, and describes the milestones of each phase and support activities that ECHA plans to give to the registrants. All chemical substances produced or imported in the European Economic Area between 1 and 100 tonnes a year need to...