Annual Report 2010 Publisher full - Offaly County Council

We inspected and audited the operations of Waste Collector Permit
holders of domestic waste collectors and collated all AER information
for EPA National Waste survey. Inspections were also undertaken at
Waste Facility Permit sites, and inspections undertaken to assess
compliance under the following regulations: Waste Tyres, WEEE, Batteries
and Packaging. This approach has ensured an effective use of
scarce resources
Awareness Programme
Offaly County Council has continued to actively promote environmental
awareness both in the community sector and schools. Currently
we have over 65 schools registered for the Green Flag programme
and 36 of these have received their Flag.
During the year we held a debate competition for all schools in the
county under the key theme of protecting the environment.
We are supporting communities in their efforts to introduce
community composting units into their local villages - namely Tubber
and Geashill. We also support community projects such as antigraffiti
(in Tullamore) and hedge-laying initiatives (Tubber) and the
Midlands Gateway initiative. We continue to promote and support
litter awareness, especially during national spring clean week.
We have, in conjunction with the County Enterprise Board and the
EPA, developed closer links with the Business Sector and we continue
to support a pilot programme to promote green business within Offaly.
PROTECTION OF NATURAL WATERS
Water Framework Directive:
Offaly is affiliated to three River Basin Districts (RBDs); namely the
Shannon International River Basin District, the Eastern River Basin
District and the South Eastern River Basin District, and in March we
recommended the adoption of River Basin Management Plans for
each of the three RBDs. We continue to implement an extensive operational
monitoring programme of the rivers and groundwater
within the county.
We have identified point and diffuse source pressures within each
river basin districts that may be contributing to the quality status of
the surface waters. These pressures were the basis of the Programme
of Measures (POMs) set out in each of the River Basin Management
Plans. These Programmes of Measures are designed to
protect water quality where existing status is high or good and to
restore quality where existing status is less than good. maintain existing
water status and improve where possible.
We continued to investigate activities and installations, such as agriculture,
wastewater disposal commercial, and industrial discharges to
surface waters, within the catchment area of designated rivers with
less than good status and to identify and implement remediation
measures.
Protection of Groundwater:
January 2010 saw the introduction of a new Code of Practice for the
assessment of on site waste water treatment systems for single
houses. The new code requires a far more comprehensive and onerous
site assessment from the previous standard.
We carried out investigations of Zone of Contributions of Public Water
Supply boreholes and prepared Aquifer Protection Plans, based on
the perceived risk from agricultural, domestic, commercial and industrial
activities, to the groundwater quality. This reflects a comprehensive
approach by the council to protect the raw water quality of
our public supplies and by extension the health of the people of
Offaly.
FLOOD RISK
The environment section participated in the CFRAM process and the
Flood Warning System process being led by the OPW.
Works were carried out on four minor flood alleviation schemes in
conjunction with the area offices and 90% funded by the OPW.
Page 46 | Offaly County Council Annual Report 2010