Phil Hogan T.D., Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, today (14 June, 2013) welcomed the announcement by CPL Fuels Ireland to establish a new residential solid fuel plant at Foynes, Co Limerick. The €22 million plant will produce smokeless, low carbon solid fuels to supply the Irish domestic heating market. Some 100 people will be employed at the plant with another 42 people employed in sales, distribution and plant maintenance.
"Speaking in Foynes Minister Hogan highlighted the importance of creating jobs but in particular ‘Green Jobs.’ "Ireland must move to a low carbon economy in order to protect our competitiveness and grow our economy in a sustainable manner. This jobs announcement today is proof that if you provide the right circumstances and certainty in relation to policy matters then industry will rise to the challenge and provide the cleaner alternatives. We must continue on this road of sustainability and provide jobs that are badly needed."
On 6 May Minister Hogan, together with Minister Alex Atwood M.L.A., announced that a joint North-South study is being commissioned, in collaboration with the Northern Ireland Department of the Environment, to examine emissions from residential heating, and in particular, air pollution from residential smoky coal in both jurisdictions and the potential policy options to reduce such emissions. A more effective alignment of solid fuel policy on an all-island basis would support the introduction of a nationwide smoky coal ban. In addition to the clean air benefits, a nationwide ban would facilitate more effective enforcement, promote broader regulatory compliance and help to eliminate black market activities.
Minister Hogan T.D. added, "I warmly welcome today’s announcement of these 142 much needed jobs. My colleague Minister Alex Attwood and I announced our policy initiative at the beginning of May to commission a joint study on all-island air quality to examine air pollution from residential solid fuel, in particular smoky coal, with the simple objective of improving air quality. I have made no secret of my intention for a nationwide ban on the sale of smoky coal by 2016. Ireland has the highest rate of respiratory disease in Europe and it was with that in mind that we are looking at our policy options to tackle air quality on the island of Ireland. This is the European Year of Air and Ireland has a proud track record in this area. In 1990 we banned the sale of smoky coal in Dublin and have now extended this ban to all of our major towns. We were also one of the first countries to ban smoking in public places which had a profound effect on improving indoor air quality in public buildings."
Minister Hogan added: "Creating a more sustainable and better environment is also good for the economy. We are generating more green jobs in Ireland as a direct result of environmental initiatives. June has been a good month for the green economy in Ireland. Last week we announced new jobs are being created through the establishment of Irish Water. CPL has now announced its intention to manufacture a smokeless product here in Foynes to serve the Irish market. I am very conscious that we will need alternatives. This will reduce demand for imported coal and expand our indigenous fuel industry in Ireland which is good news for fuel security. I want to compliment Tim and the team at CPL for being so quick off the mark in responding to our policy initiative. People in government need enterprising companies like CPL to translate our intentions into practical reality on the ground."
In relation to smokeless fuels, Minister Hogan highlighted: "Smokeless solid fuels burn more cleanly as well as being more carbon and heat-efficient and so can deliver improved air quality as well as human health, climate and consumer benefits. While I recognise the attachment that some people have to smoky coal as a preferred solid fuel because it’s what they are used to, I think that when they try smokeless products and other alternatives, they will find they are every bit as good as smoky coal; in fact, they are cleaner and better for themselves, for their neighbours and for the environment more generally."
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Notes to the Editor:
In April 2012, Minister Hogan announced a public consultation to inform a review of the Solid Fuel Regulations to ensure that the smoky coal ban, which was first introduced in Dublin in 1990, continued to be fit for purpose in protecting air quality and human health from harmful emissions caused by the residential burning of solid fuel. Air quality monitoring by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has shown that the smoky coal ban has clearly been effective in reducing air pollution with proven benefits for human health and our environment. This has led to improved quality of life in cities and towns where the ban applies. Research has indicated that the ban in Dublin resulted in up to 350 fewer deaths and through increased efficiency reduced consumer fuel costs by €184 million per year.
Following the consultation and review in 2012, most smoky coal ban areas were revised to take account of recent urban development. Some additional areas were also added to the ban, which now applies in 27 cities and towns covering just over 50% of the population. This extended the clean air benefits of the ban to all main urban areas. A ban on the burning of smoky coal inside smoky coal ban areas was also introduced to complement the established ban on its marketing, sale and distribution.
Some submissions received under the consultation process had called for the introduction of a national ban on smoky coal. Notwithstanding the regulatory improvements introduced in 2012, it is recognised that having different standards applying to coal between larger urban and smaller urban/rural locations is not ideal, as it results in different levels of environmental protection and clean air benefits for people across these different locations. With this in mind, Minister Hogan has set the challenging target of introducing a ban on smoky coal across the State by 2016. However, a national ban introduced unilaterally rather than on an all-island basis would give rise to cross-border enforcement difficulties.
In Ireland, the ban on the marketing, sale, distribution and burning of bituminous coal inside specified (or ‘smoky coal ban’) areas has proven to be a successful national policy initiative for significantly reducing air pollution. The ban was first introduced in Dublin in 1990 in response to severe episodes of winter smog in the capital that resulted primarily from the widespread use of smoky coal for residential heating. With the ban proving very effective, it was subsequently extended to other areas in a number of phases and currently applies in twenty cities and towns. Air quality monitoring by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has shown that levels of particulate matter (PM10) are lower in these areas than in towns where the ban does not apply.
Maps of the smoky coal ban areas in these seven towns, as well existing smoky coal ban areas in other cities and towns, are available on the Department’s website:–
www.environ.ie/en/Environment/Atmosphere/AirQuality/SmokyCoalBan/
The decision to add these towns to the ban, along with updated boundary revisions to areas where the ban already applies, was made following a public consultation process in 2012. Submissions received under this process broadly favoured the further extension and application of the ban. While several submissions received under the consultation process called for a nationwide ban, it was not considered feasible to introduce such a ban while smoky coal continues to be marketed in Northern Ireland.
Areas where the smoky coal ban already applies-
Dublin City and County since 1990; Cork City since 1995; Arklow, Drogheda, Dundalk, Limerick City and Wexford Town since 1998; Celbridge, Galway City, Leixlip, Naas and Waterford City since 2000; Bray, Kilkenny, Sligo and Tralee since 2003; Athlone, Carlow, Clonmel and Ennis since 2011; and Greystones, Letterkenny, Mullingar, Navan, Newbridge, Portloaise and Wicklow since 2013.
Research has indicated that the smoky coal ban introduced in Dublin in 1990 resulted in up to 350 fewer deaths and through encouraging a shift to cleaner and more efficient fuels reduced consumer fuel costs by €184 million per year.
In April 2012, Minister Hogan published a consultation paper, "Delivering Cleaner Air", to inform and assist a review of the smoky coal ban to ensure its continued effectiveness. The consultation paper reviewed the regulations and identified relevant considerations relating to their effective implementation in the context of developments over the twenty years since their introduction. New consolidating Solid Fuel Regulations (S.I. No. 326 of 2012) were then given effect on 31 August 2012.
New measures introduced by the Solid Fuel Regulations 2012:
Boundary revisions were applied in most existing smoky coal ban areas to take into account more recent urban development. The boundary revisions were based on Census 2011 data and closely aligned with EPA designated air quality monitoring zones for urban areas so as to promote more consistent air quality management in our cities and towns.
With effect from May 2013, six new provincial towns whose populations have now increased to over 15,000 people (as per Census 2011) - Greystones, Letterkenny, Mullingar, Navan, Newbridge and Portlaoise. In addition, Wicklow Town was also added following requests from Wicklow County Council and local representatives to be included as a smoky coal ban area. This gave further effect to an EPA recommendation that the smoky coal ban be extended to all urban areas.
A prohibition on the residential burning of bituminous fuel inside specified ban areas was also introduced in August 2012 to complement the established ban on the marketing, sale and distribution. In some towns, the actual use of smoky coal, sourced from outside the ban area, was considerable: this undermined the intent of the ban and the improvements in air quality. The burning of such fuel makes a disproportionate contribution to air pollution, which generally occurs within communities where exposure, including to vulnerable groups, can be highest. This complementary step, which was broadly supported in public submissions received under the consultation process as well as by the solid fuel industry, will help to improve the robustness of the legislation and ensure better air quality and health for inhabitants of cities and towns.
Complaints regarding the sale of unauthorised fuels or smoky emissions should be reported to the environment section of a local authority.
There is no smoky coal ban in Northern Ireland. However, certain urban areas are designated as smoke control areas where households are prohibited from burning any fuel that produces smoky emissions. Nonetheless, there have been exceedances in Northern Ireland of EU limit values, which is attributed to the burning of solid fuel.