This presentation was given as part of the EPA-funded Catchment Science and Management Course focusing on Integrated Catchment Management, held in June 2015. This course was delivered by RPS Consultants. If you have any queries or comments, or wish to use the material in this presentation, please contact catchments@epa.ie It is increasingly being recognised internationally that integrated catchment management (ICM) is a useful organising framework for tackling the ongoing challenge of balancing sustainable use and development of our natural resource, against achieving environmental goals. The basic principles of ICM (Williams, 2012) are to: • Take a holistic and integrated approach to the management of land, biodiversity, water and community resources at the water catchment scale; • Involve communities in planning and managing their landscapes; and • Find a balance between resource use and resource conservation ICM is now well established in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. In Europe the ICM approach has been proposed as being required to achieve effective water and catchment management, and is the approach being promoted by DEFRA for the UK, where it is called the “Catchment Based Approach” (CaBA). The principles and methodologies behind ICM sit well within the context of the Water Framework Directive with its aims and objectives for good water quality, sustainable development and public participation in water resource management. In Ireland it is proposed that the ICM approach will underlie the work and philosophy in developing and implementing future River Basin Management Plans.

1. Measures – Licensing of point source discharges
Yvonne English,
Environmental Licensing Programme
Catchment Science and Management Course
June 2015

2. Overview
A quick guide to ELP
Statutory basis of our work
Licensing process (WWDL) in the context of WFD and
ICM
ELP involvement in ICM

3. What is the ELP? What does it do?
Environmental Licencing Programme
Authorisation of specified activities:
Licensing IE and IPC installations and large waste facilities;
VOC Permits;
Registration of GMOs users in Ireland;
Dumping at sea permits;
Registration of Local Authority recycling activities;
Urban Waste Water Discharge Authorisations.

4. Director
OCLRR
Dara Lynott
Director
General
Director
OEE
Director
OCCS
Director
OEA
Programme
Manager
Frank Clinton
Programme
Manager
Jonathan DerhamResearch
Climate
Licensing
(ELP)
Resource Use
Director
ORP
Where the ELP fits within the EPA

5. ELP staff resources
We have ∼ 20 Inspectors involved in general licensing work.
Of these, ∼ 15 Inspectors involved directly in licence application assessment
work.
We have ∼ 11 FTEs working on Administration support to licensing function.

6. Environmental Licensing Programme
IED
Directive 2010/75/EU - IED – Recast of the IPPC Directive and six other
directives.
The EPA (Industrial Emissions) (Licensing) Regulations, 2013
European Union (Industrial Emissions) Regulations 2013

7. Environmental Licensing Programme
IPC
Directive 2008/1/EC is now recast as part of the IED Directive
Environmental Protection Agency (Integrated Pollution Control) (Licensing)
Regulations 2013

8. Environmental Licensing Programme
Waste
Waste licensing governed mainly by:
Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC)
Waste Management Act and Waste Licensing Regulations

9. Environmental Licensing Programme
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) permits
Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992 (Control of volatile
organic compound emissions resulting from the storage of petrol
and its distribution) Regulations, 1997 (S.I. No. 374 of 1997)
Dumping at Sea
Dumping at Sea Acts1996, as amended
GMO Licensing and Enforcement
Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Use) Regulations, 2001
as amended
Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) Regulations,
2003 (S.I. No. 500 of 2003)

10. Environmental Licensing Programme
Wastewater
Waste Water Discharge (Authorisation) Regulations 2007, as amended
Directive 2006/11/EC - Dangerous Substances Directive
Directive 2000/60/EC - Water Framework Directive
Urban Waste Water Treatment Regulations 2001, as amended
Directive 2000/60/EC - Water Framework Directive
Council Directive 91/71/EEC – Urban Waste Water Directive

11. The receiving environment
WFD
European Communities Environmental Objectives (Surface Waters)
Regulations 2009, as amended.
established legally binding quality objectives for all surface
waters and environmental quality standards for pollutants
required public authorities to utilise the ‘combined approach’
when issuing permits with discharges to water.

12. Combined approach
Emission limits are set on the basis of:
 the effluent limits under the relevant discharge regulations, and
 the limits required to meet the EQS for the receiving waters;
 the most stringent standards apply
The licensing process

13. The Regulation of urban waste
water discharges
Licences are required for
discharges from agglomerations
of over 500 population equivalent
(p.e.)
For under 500 p.e. the discharge
is regulated by a Certificate of
Authorisation
The licensing process

14. Public Participation

15. …and other Third Parties
Stages in the licensing process
 Application must be lodged by a specified date
 Specified bodies informed and may participate in the
process
 Third parties may participate by written submissions
 EPA considers the application and submissions
 Licence decision is issued

16. Assessment - Background data

17. Mass balance for discharge to rivers

18. Assimilative Capacity
• Useful aid in assessing the ability of a water body to
accommodate a particular loading
• Crucially to protect waste quality the inspector must ensure
that discharge limits are based on the 95%ile concentration
quality standards and the 95%ile flow

19. Licence ELVs
Mass balance
calcs translate
into discharge
limits which aim
to achieve good
status in the
receiving water

20. Licence contents
Conditions
 Scope, Interpretation
 Discharges
 Control & Monitoring
 Notifications and Reports
 Programme of Improvements
Schedules
 Emission Limits (ELVS) for certain pollutants
 Monitoring (discharge and surface water)
 Improvement Programme
n

21. Range of emission limits for wastewater discharges
Parameter Emission Limit Value
(mg/l)
BOD 4 - 25
COD 125
Suspended Solids 20-35
Total Ammonia (N) 0.26 - 5
Total Phosphorus (P) 0.27 - 2
Orthophosphate (P) 0.13 - 8
Limits may apply from grant of licence or by specified dates

22. Example of Improvements
Specified Improvement Completion
Date
New waste water treatment plant (Phase 1) 31st Dec 2011
Upgrade and rehabilitation of sewer network 31st Dec 2012
Re-location of primary discharge 31st Dec 2014
Extension of marine outfall 31st Dec 2014

23. Improvements for Storm Water Overflows
Discharges may be required to discontinue by specified dates
Specified Improvement Completion Date
Upgrading of Storm Water Overflows to
comply with the criteria outlined in the
DoEHLG “Procedures and Criteria in relation
to Storm Water Overflows, 1995”
31st Dec 2012

24. Further measures under WFD
Waterbodies on the WFD’s Register of Protected Areas
• Shellfish Areas
• Salmonid Waters
• Drinking Waters
• Bathing Waters
• Nutrient Sensitive Areas
Appropriate Assessment
SACs Council Directive 92/43/EC (Habitats Directive)
SPAs Directive 2009/147/EC (Birds Directive)

25. Inspectors Report
Inspector’s Report – record of the assessment process,
accompanying the recommended license for the Board.
• Application and agglomeration details
• Discharges to water
• Receiving waters and impacts
• Ambient Monitoring
• Combined approach
• Programme of Improvements
• Compliance with EU Directives
• Appropriate Assessment
• Cross Office Liaison
• Submissions
• Charges
• Recommendation

26. Objectives of Water Framework Directive
 Protect High or Good status water bodies
 All water bodies to be restored to at least Good status by
22 December 2015*
 Achieve objectives for protected areas
 Prevent and reduce pollution by priority substances
* unless exemptions

27. ELP involvement in ICM
• Internal Cross Office Teams
• External TWGs
• Application Assessment – cumulative effects
– public participation
• Licence conditions & ELVs

28. Environmental Licensing Programme
Intensive Agriculture (Pig & Poultry)
EPA Act Class 6.1 (poultry) and 6.2 (pigs) -All licensable activities are IED
European Union (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations
2014 (S.I. 31 of 2014)
Animal By Products Regulations (Regulation 1069 of 2009) and Implementing
Regulations 142 of 2011
Combustion of Poultry Manure as fuel on farm, see Commission Regulation 592 of
2014

29. Thank you