Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

353 Chapter 13: Environment and Industry Figure 13.16  Regulation of commercial peat extraction EPA License Planning permission Environmental Impact Assessment Appropriate Assessment More than 50 hectares Planning permission Environmental Impact Assessment Appropriate Assessment Less than 30 hectares a Planning permission Environmental Impact Assessment Appropriate Assessment 30-50 hectares a Planning permission is required for the extraction of peat from an area exceeding 30 hectares or from an area less than this where it is likely to have a significant effect on the environment. The EPA issued nine IPC licences to Bord na Móna (Class 1.3 of the EPA Act 1992) for the commercial extraction of peat. However, since extraction has ceased at these peatlands in recent years, rehabilitation works are progressing. Currently, several other commercial peat extraction activities continue to operate despite the absence of any authorisation from either the EPA or relevant local authorities. These operations are primarily based in the midland counties (Longford, Westmeath, Kildare, Offaly, Tipperary and Roscommon). The EPA has had significant concerns about the lack of local regulation of the commercial peat sector for a number of years. All of these activities continue to operate in the absence of any planning permission, and, with the exception of the nine IPC licensed peatlands, environmental regulation is largely absent. To protect Ireland’s peatlands, planning policy must proactively address the issue of unauthorised peat extraction operations. The EPA has deployed significant resources to control the unregulated commercial peat sector and will continue to target its enforcement interventions at these operations. The EPA has successfully taken legal proceedings against illegal operators in the District Court and High Court, which has resulted in the cessation of illegal peat extraction on a number of peatlands. The EPA has also a specific role, under Section 63 of the EPA Act, to supervise local authorities’ performance of their statutory duties to protect the environment. The EPA is exercising its powers under this legislation to ensure that local authorities take the appropriate regulatory and enforcement actions against unauthorised commercial peat extraction. Traditionally, a significant amount of the extracted peat was used for the generation of electricity in Ireland, however this practice ceased in recent years. In addition, the global exportation of Irish peat has been declining. While Ireland exported 919,000 tonnes of peat in 2020, this figure decreased to 351,000 in 2023 (Figure 13.17). Figure 13.17  Annual tonnage of peat exported from Ireland, 2019-2023 0 200 400 600 800 1000 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 Ktonnes exported Year Source: CSO, 2024 Impacts on water quality and river habitats arising from illegal peat extraction and drainage include the release of ammonium and fine-grained suspended sediments and the physical alteration of aquatic habitats. The installation of extensive drainage networks can result in the lowering of water tables, disrupting the ecosystem balance and thereby providing flow pathways for sediment and dissolved organic carbon to reach water bodies.