Vol. 415 No. 1
311 Mr. J. Bruton, Mr. J. Mitchell and Mr. Carey asked the Minister for the Environment if he has made regulations under section 22 of the Air Pollution Act, 1987, which will allow local authorities to make charges in relation to emissions; if these regulations are of universal application or simply applied to (a) particular industries, (b) geographical areas or (c) particular types of emission.
Regulations have not been made under section 22 of the Air Pollution Act, 1987. However, charges for services performed by local authorities in connection with certain air pollution control functions may at present be made under sections 31, 32 and 35 of the Act.
312 Mr. J. Bruton, Mr. J. Mitchell and Mr. Carey asked the Minister for the Environment if he has any proposals to make regulations under section 23 of the Air Pollution Act, 1987 prohibiting or governing certain emissions into the air by industry; if the regulations made to date under this section are comprehensive and final; and if not, if further proposals are under consideration.
313 Mr. J. Bruton, Mr. J. Mitchell and Mr. Carey asked the Minister for the Environment if he will give details of the premises in respect of which regulations under section 25 of the Air Pollution Act, 1987 have so far been made in order to prohibit or restrict the emissions of smoke into the atmosphere.
314 Mr. J. Bruton, Mr. J. Mitchell and Mr. Carey asked the Minister for the Environment if he has made any regulations under the Air Pollution Act, 1987 in relation to atmospheric emissions by (a) power stations, (b) steel mills and (c) oil refineries; and if not, the reasons therefor.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 312, 313 and 314 together.
Regulations have not been made under sections 23 or 25 of the Air Pollution Act, 1987. A number of regulations are however in operation under the 1987 Act and other legislation in order to ensure the control of atmospheric emissions. These include measures: establishing national air quality standards for a number of common pollutants; providing for the licensing of a wide range of new industrial plant (including oil refineries, large power stations and foundries with a capacity above a specified limit), and specified categories of existing industrial plant; prohibiting the marketing, sale and distribution of smokey coals in the Dublin area; specifying an emission limit value for asbestos from specified industrial plant; and regulating the sulphur content of gasoils, and the lead and benzene content of petrols.
Further regulations are at an advanced stage of preparation at present; these include measures relating to emissions from existing power plants and from vehicles.
