Issues

Durkan calls for the setting up of an independent Environmental Protection Agency

Environment Minister, Mark H Durkan MLA, outlines the need for an independent all-island Environmental Protection Agency.

Environment Minister Mark H Durkan MLA has called for the establishment of an Environmental Protection Agency, which would have an all-island remit.

Speaking at the Environment Ireland conference in Dublin, Durkan expressed his concerns about current proposals which would see the merger of the agriculture and environment portfolios in Northern Ireland next May.

“One of the key weaknesses in the envisaged arrangements is the lack of governance where the issue of environmental protection is concerned,” said Durkan. “The most obvious way to deal with this issue is to have an independent Environmental Protection Agency set up in Northern Ireland. Looking further down the track, I see no reason why an agency with this specific mandate could not be established on an all-island basis.

“It makes sense to take this approach as so many issues relating to the environment have a very strong cross border dimension. The establishment of an independent Environmental Protection Agency would also ensure that optimal levels of EU funding are continuously drawn down from Brussels.”

The Minister also used his conference speech as an opportunity to confirm that no final decision had been taken by the Stormont Executive to merge the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development with the Department of the Environment and stressed his belief that environmental and sustainable economic development policies must go hand-in-hand.

He cited the recent prosperity agreements entered into between the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and three leading manufacturing companies as excellent examples of these principles being implemented on a practical basis. Two of these businesses, Linden Foods and Thompson’s Animal Feeds, operate within the agri-food space.

“Linden Foods has committed to reducing its CO2 emissions by 25 per cent,” said Durkan. “I hope to visit the Dungannon based company in the very near future to gauge at first hand the progress they have made over the past 12 months. “Thompson’s have committed to reducing their environmental footprint by 10 per cent as well as working more closely with farm suppliers to improve the efficiency of their businesses. This, in turn, should help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in all our rural areas.”

Durkan believes that every decision taken by the Stormont Executive will have an impact on the economy as a whole and stressed the need for a circular economy.

“Waste, for example is a resource,” the Minister claimed. “The good news is that we are now recycling and composting 40 per cent of our household waste. We must build on this for the future. In reality we need a step change in the way that we all think about the protection of the environment.”

He concluded by pointing out that dumping of fuel laundered waste represents a key health risk for livestock and the general public throughout the border region and that in his view an all-island task force should be set up to deal with this type of organised crime.

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