Calls are being made for greater enforcement of regulations on smoky coal in the Ennis area.
It comes as “extraordinarily high” levels of air pollution recorded in the county town over the weekend suggest the smoky coal ban isn’t being adhered to.
According to the EPA’s Air Quality Index for Health, abnormally high levels of air pollution have been recorded in Ennis in recent days, as the cold snap took grip.
At seven o’clock on Saturday evening, PM2.5 levels spiked at over 417 micrograms per cubic metre, with the daily average more than 6 times the World Health Organisation’s recommended daily limit.
Exposure to particulate matter, especially PM2.5, can have harmful health effects, such as heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, and respiratory diseases including asthma, bronchitis, respiratory infections, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
A nationwide smoky coal ban was introduced last year, though Ennis was ahead of the curve with a ban in place for over a decade.
Despite this, air pollution levels suggest smoky coal continues to be burned in the county town, with the creator of the Air Quality Alerts Twitter page, Alan Bell describing the latest air pollution readings as “alarming”.
The Environmental Protection Agency is the designated competent authority for the implementation of all Irish and European Union ambient air quality legislation and also the specified monitoring and reporting body under this legislation.
The regulations are only deemed to be breached if more than 35 exceedances occur over a 24-hour averaging period during the entire year, with air quality levels in Ennis exceeding the recommended daily limit for PM10 on 22 occasions last year.
Last year Clare County Council carried out inspections at a rate of about one per week after receiveing 25 air pollution complaints, though no prosecutions were made resulting from breaches of smoky coal regulations.
Better Ennis has described the levels of polluted air this week as a “health hazard” that’s “disproportinately” impacting the sick and spokesperson Síle Guinnane wants the local authority to take more action.
You can listen to the full interview below.
Statement from Clare County Council
‘The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the designated competent authority for the implementation of all Irish and European Union (EU) ambient air quality legislation.
The EPA is also the specified monitoring and reporting body under this legislation.
The EPA manages and co-ordinates current ambient air monitoring activities in co-operation with local authorities and other state bodies, complying with strict sampling and reporting requirements.
At present, Ireland has an established network of stations to monitor air quality which are configured to meet the requirements of the European Union CAFE (Clean Air For Europe) Directive.
Currently there is 1 No. CAFE Air Monitoring site situated in Ennis in the former Ennis Town Council complex in Drumbiggle. This monitoring station measures Particulate Matter and Sulphur Dioxide. Particulate matter (PM) are minute particles of dust, soot and smoke etc and the daily limit over a 24-hour averaging period for PM10 is 50 ug/m3.
The unit of measurement is the ug (microgramme) and is a unit of mass equal to one millionth (1×10-6) of a gram per cubic meter.
The detailed information provided by that station is delivered in real time and readily accessible for the general public on the EPA website on the following link Station 25 Ennis, Co. Clare | AirQuality.ie
The website also provides easily interpreted Air Quality Index for Health (AQIH) colour coded mapping for the entire country.
The Air Quality Index for Health (AQIH) can be used by health professionals to help patients who are sensitive to air pollution manage their condition and reduce their symptoms.
The AQIH combines real-time measurements from the National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Network to produce a four-band index with health advice based on World Health Organisation Guidelines.
The AQIH band (good, fair, poor, very poor) is calculated hourly and is available on a web-based colour-coded map and on twitter @EPAAirQuality.
However, it is important to stress that the limit specified in the Regulations is only deemed to be breached if more than 35 exceedances occur over a 24-hour averaging period during the entire year.
Therefore, even a number of hourly readings which may exceed the nominal limit value does not necessarily mean a breach of the Air Quality Regulations when viewed over the 24-hour averaging period and per annum basis.
The EPA are the reporting body and will make such determinations on an annual basis. To date there have been no breaches in County Clare of the Air Quality Regulations.
More specifically in 2023 to date (Up to 4th December 2023) there have been only 10 noted exceedances in the calendar year. From Met Éireann records we are currently experiencing a very cold period with little to no wind.
Wind speed and atmospheric conditions are a significant factor in dispersing any form of air borne pollutants.
Since the introduction of the Air Pollution Act in 1987 there have been additional measures and regulations introduced by successive governments to improve air quality.
The most recent significant legislation was introduced in 2022 when the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan, signed the Air Pollution Act 1987 (Solid Fuels) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 529 of 2022) , which commenced on 31 October 2022.
The primary focus of these regulations is on improving air quality and improving people’s health outcomes, by restricting the retail, online and commercial sale of smoky fuels, including smoky coal, turf and wet wood.
These fuels are proven to be a major contributor to air pollution in Ireland.
The Environment Section of Clare County Council carry out seasonal inspections of the main retailers of Solid Fuels in Co Clare under the new Solid Fuel Regulations.
We issue letters to retailers noting their obligation of the most recent Solid Fuel Regulations (S.I. 529 of 2022).
In addition, Clare County Council in a joint Local Authority project, funded by the Department of Environment Climate and Communications (DECC), recently carried out a sampling programme of solid fuels from retailers.
The samples have been sent to an accredited laboratory for analysis to determine sulphur and moisture content to ensure that solid fuels on the market in Clare are in compliance with Section 5 of the Regulations.
Clare County Council are also active across many different Directorates to further improve air quality.
The Environment section have notified all retailers of solid fuels of their obligations under the new Regulations and carry out regular checks on retailers of solid fuels to ensure compliance with the Regulations.
The Environment section also monitor extractive industries in the county for air pollution and impose dust limits on new construction sites through the Planning process.
Government policy in this area is for a transition away from the use of fossil fuels for heating to more sustainable sources of green energy .
This transition will take time to deliver but it is enshrined in many facets of legislation across all government departments.
The new social housing schemes delivered by the Social Housing Directorate and opened by Minister O’Brien in county Clare last year are all built to nearly zero energy buildings (NZEB) standards.
These houses do not use solid fuel heating but instead rely on in part improved air tightness, increased insulation and more effective heating/ventilation systems to achieve more energy efficient homes.
They will help lower people’s energy bills, reduce the risk of fuel poverty and dramatically reduce any contribution to air pollution.
A Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (2019-2024) has been adopted by Clare County Council and a Climate Action Plan (CAP) is being developed in accordance with national climate change policies.
These strategies include for adaptation and mitigation measures which will improve air quality. These measures include smarter travel initiatives, increased use of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure , retrofitting of housing , green infrastructure and healthier living initiatives.
Various Directorates are tasked with delivering these initiatives which all assist with further improving air quality across the county.
The EPA have also recently rolled out a 3-day (today, tomorrow and the day after) forecasting system. This is available at AirQuality.ie using the “Forecasting” link.’
