Dawn Meats Ireland Unlimited Company has pleaded guilty to 25 separate charges in relation to "breaching conditions" of their Industrial Emissions Licence and has been fined a total of €75,000.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prosecuted the company at Waterford District Court on Monday (May 15).

Judge Kevin Staunton heard evidence that the company had failed to comply with the "provisions" of conditions set out in their Industrial Emissions Licence (IEL) on a number of dates.

Details of the charges show that on two dates "emissions to effluent discharge point EW1 exceeded the Emissions Limit Value (ELV) for oils, fats and greases".

Other charges included:

Failing to comply on three dates with conditions in its IEL in that emissions to an effluent discharge point exceeded the ELV;
Failing to comply on seven dates to notify the EPA "as soon as practicable after an emission that did not comply" with the requirements of its IEL licence";
Supplying the EPA with information which was "false or misleading" in a material respect, namely environmental monitoring information and declarations that the information was truthful and accurate on six dates;
Failing to take measures to restore compliance with certain conditions of its IEL licence on three dates.

Judge Kevin Staunton convicted and fined Dawn Meats Ireland Unlimited Company €3,000 on all 25 charges resulting in a total fine of €75,000.

Full costs in relation to the prosecution were also awarded to the EPA.

In a statement issued to Agriland, Dawn Meats said:

“The legal proceedings relate to historical reporting and emissions levels in internal transfers of effluent to the main effluent treatment plant on site.

"New protocols have been implemented in line with EPA licencing requirements.”

Family owned Dawn Meats was established in Co. Waterford in 1980 and has more than 8,000 employees across 12 countries.

It operates 10 sites in Ireland and currently exports to more than 50 countries.