Air Pollution

Air Pollution

New Solid Fuel Regulations

The Solid Fuel Regulations for Ireland came into effect on 31 October 2022, with the primary focus on improving air quality and people’s health chances and outcomes, by restricting the retail, online and commercial sale of smoky fuels proven to be a major contributor to air pollution in Ireland, including smoky coal, turf and wet wood. The key aspects of the Regulations are as follows:

• Coal products and manufactured solid fuels must have a smoke emission rate of less than 10 grams per hour –the same as was previously in force in low smoke zones.
• Manufactured part biomass products must have a smoke emission rate of less than 5 grams per hour.
• Coal products and manufactured solid fuels, including manufactured part biomass products, must have a sulphur content of less than 2% by weight on a dry ash-free basis, and subject to a market assessment, from 1 September 2025 this will be reduced to 1%
• Fuel products which are 100% biomass products including wood products and wood logs, supplied in units of two cubic metres or less, must have a moisture content of less than 25% (from 1 September 2025, this will be reduced to less than 20%)
• Wood logs supplied in units of two cubic metres or more must now be accompanied by a notice outlining the need to store and season wet wood until it is sufficiently dried.
• It is now not possible to sell turf via retail, online or other media, in public houses or other public places.

There are also some changes to the certification and registration process, retailer obligations and other areas. More details on these can be found at  https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/e3da2-air-quality/.

Information on the registration process can be found on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website.

How do we know what the level of air pollution is?

The EPA is responsible for monitoring ambient air quality. Real time air quality monitoring is easily accessible via the Air Quality website. Specific links to the air quality monitors in Letterkenny and Buncrana are below. 

Letterkenny Air Monitoring Station Real Time Air Quality results.

Buncrana Air Monitoring Station Real Time Air Quality results 

Why regulate solid fuels?

Burning of solid fuels is a significant contributor to poor local air quality by increasing the amount of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) and other pollutants in our homes and communities.

The main health effects of air pollution include stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and both chronic and acute respiratory diseases, including asthma. These conditions can lead to sickness and ill health, as well as premature mortality. It is also linked to increases in respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, dementia and also impacts on the central nervous and reproductive systems.

This demonstrates the extent to which the choices we make when heating our homes can impact on our own health and the communities in which we live.

To improve air quality and reduce the associated health impacts, it is important to reduce the emissions into the air that is produced from domestic burning of solid fuels, by ensuring that only higher quality and less polluting fuels will be legally available for sale.

Burning solid fuels releases a pollutant called fine particulate matter (PM2.5). It can trigger asthma attacks and cause a range of other health effects, including:

• Bronchitis
• Bronchiolitis
• Pneumonia
• COPD
• Lung cancer
• Eye, nose, and throat irritation
• Coughing
• Sneezing
• Runny nose
• Shortness of breath

People with asthma, children, and the elderly are most at risk.

Reducing air pollution to improve health and environmental outcomes is a key element of the Clean Air Strategy which focus on reducing emissions to protect health.

Enforcement

Donegal County Council is the enforcement agency for breaches of the Air Pollution Act 1987 (Solid Fuels) Regulations 2022.

Air Pollution Act 1987

The principal national legislation for the prevention and control of air pollution is the Air Pollution Act, 1987 (No. 6 of 1987). This act provides a comprehensive statutory framework for the control of air quality. Other relevant legislation includes;

Air Quality Standards Regulations of 2011 (replacing Air Quality Standards Regulations of 2002)

Marketing, Sale and Distribution of Fuels Regulations, 1998

Local Authorities are empowered under this legislation to licence certain classes of activities. Activities qualifying for an Air Pollution Licence are as listed in Schedule 3 of the 1987 Air Pollution Act. The main activity requiring this type of licensing is quarrying and asphalt/bitmac plants in particular.

Section 26 of the Air Pollution Act 1987 allows Local Authorities to issue statutory Enforcement Notices requiring “measures to be taken to prevent or limit air pollution”.

Section 24 (2) of the 1987 Air Pollution Act states “The occupier of any premises shall not cause or permit an emission from such premises in such a quantity, or in such a manner, as to be a nuisance”.

Solvent Regulations

Further information can be found here.

Deco-Paints and Solvents Regulations and Information

In Ireland, legislation is provided for the regulation of:

• Paints, varnishes and vehicle refinishing activities:S.I. No. 564 of 2012: EUROPEAN UNION (PAINTS, VARNISHES, VEHICLE REFINISHING PRODUCTS AND ACTIVITIES) REGULATIONS 2012, https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2012/si/564/made/en/pdf
• Further details & guidance are provided on the EPA website at https://www.epa.ie/our-services/compliance--enforcement/air/decorative-paints/decorative-paints-regulations/

• installations and activities using organic solvents: S.I. No. 565 of 2012: EUROPEAN UNION (INSTALLATIONS AND ACTIVITIES USING ORGANIC SOLVENTS) REGULATIONS 2012 https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2012/si/565/made/en/pdf
• Further details & guidance are provided on the EPA website at  https://www.epa.ie/our-services/compliance--enforcement/air/solvents/

Instances of non-compliance with this legislation may result in a fixed payment notice (on-the-spot fine) of a minimum of €500. To avoid a fixed payment notice, you must be registered with your local authority for a valid Certificate of Compliance. Please refer to the above legislation for your activities that require a certificate.

The purpose of this legislation is to ensure that emissions to air are regulated, and environmental pollution is restricted.

Approved Assessors

The details of the only Approved Assessor currently operating in Ireland are as follows:

EnviroGuide Consulting – Address: Head Office, EnviroGuide Consulting, 3D, Core C, Block 71, The Plaza, Park West, Dublin 12, D12F9TN

Phone: 01 2711896

Email: info@enviroguide.ie

Web: www.enviroguide.ie

All operators must engage the services of the approved assessor for the purposes of getting their premises inspected for a compliance report and pay them directly. The approved assessor’s compliance report will either recommend or decline the issuing of a compliance certificate. The recommendation should be forwarded to Donegal County Council by the owner/operator with an application for a Certificate of Compliance, with the appropriate fee (€70). The Council will then issue a valid Certificate of Compliance which will last for a period of either 2 or 3 years (depending on the activity), after which a further inspection will be required to repeat the process.

Further Information:

Best Practice Guidelines for Dry Cleaners | Environmental Protection Agency

Recommendations on the Disposal of Separator Water

Best Practice Guidelines for Vehicle Refinishing | Environmental Protection Agency

Vehicle Refinishing Info Leaflet

EPA Decorative Paints Youtube Video

County Donegal Vehicle Refinishing Installations Currently Certified (as of 1^st November 2024) under the European Union (Paints, Varnishes, Vehicle Refinishing Products & Activities) Regulations 2012

Air Pollution Complaints

Air complaints, in the main, relayed to Donegal County Council tend to be related to;

• the nuisance value of odours, (whether from commercial properties or agricultural activities, e.g. landspreading of slurries),
• smoke from the open burning of wastes (i.e. backyard burning of wastes).
• Smoke from un-approved solid fuels
• dust from quarrying activities
• burning of wastes

Donegal County Council expressly prohibits the open burning of commercial / domestic waste and will act to prevent this occurrence when reported. Proper refuse disposal is via appropriate recycling, composting or refuse collection service, or other licensed / permitted waste disposal facility.

Odours from Landspreading

Donegal County Council acknowledges that landspreading of organic fertiliser in the form of agricultural slurry or manure is a normal part of agricultural practices, and that some level of odour can be expected from slurry spreading.

All slurry spreading should be carried out in accordance with the Good Agricultural Practice Regulations, (further details from the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine).

Air Quality in Donegal

Ireland's, and Donegal’s, air quality remains generally very good. In this regard we are fortunate to be located on the fringe of Western Europe, with a relatively mild climate and to have an almost continuous movement of clean air over the country. The Solid Fuel Regulations extended the ban on the marketing, sale and distribution of certain fuels including bituminous coal from the low-smoke zone in Letterkenny to the entire county and across the entire country. Air quality monitoring in Letterkenny has shown improvement since the new regulations have come into force although the topography of the town means that good air quality can only be assured if there is strict adherence by all residents to these regulations.

The EPA - Environmental Protection Agency provides information on National Air Quality Monitoring, the Air Quality Index for Health and their annual Air Quality in Ireland Report, with more information available at  https://airquality.ie/ and www.epa.ie.