Courts / Limerick / Report
Environmentalist's challenge to chicken plant is dismissed
Summary
The High Court dismissed environmental activist Peter Sweetman's challenge to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) February 2019 decision to grant an industrial emissions licence to Michael Noel O'Connor for a 74,000‑bird broiler chicken plant at Rathcahill West, Templeglantine, Newcastlewest, Co. Limerick. Sweetman argued the EPA had failed to properly assess the disposal of chicken manure and water washings, had no jurisdiction, and had not considered EU directives on habitats, waste water and environmental impact. He also sought declarations that the EPA had erred in law and acted contrary to EU waste directives. The EPA counter‑claimed that it had considered all relevant matters and that the licence was correctly awarded under the 1992 EPA Act. Judge Conleth Bradley found the EPA had not acted outside its regulatory powers, had correctly defined its statutory and regulatory ambit, and therefore dismissed the action. No further proceedings were ordered.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Environmentalist's challenge to chicken plant is dismissed. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision
When:
- February 2019 Other
- 2024-02-07 Publication
Places mentioned
- The High Court
Topics
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