PRESS RELEASE 8 OCTOBER
Study Finds Raw Sewage Sludge is being Landspread in Ireland
A new study by Cré on how sewage sludge is managed in Ireland was conducted by surveying local authorities.
The study found that approximately 24,000 tonnes of raw sewage sludge was applied to land in Ireland in 2012. This is a food safety issue as outlined in a 2008 report by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).
The practice of putting raw sewage sludge on land is allowed under Irish Regulations. In 2007, the FSAI met the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government to get the exemptions in the Regulations removed. The Department gave to the FSAI a commitment that a limited revision of the Regulations would be provided that would see a prohibition on the use of untreated sludge and the setting of standards for treated sludges.
This revision has not been carried out to-date.
Cré is calling on the Department to honour its commitment to the FSAI.
The report can be downloaded here – Sewage Sludge Management in Ireland
ENDS
Further Information:
Contact:
Percy Foster
Cré
T: 086 8129260
E: percy@cre.ie
About Cré
Cré is a non-profit Association that promotes composting, anaerobic digestion (AD) and the use of compost and digestate. Cré is the recognised national representative body for the composting and anaerobic digestion industry in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Cré is an active member of the European Compost Network and the European Biogas Association.