Waste Regulations- What has Changed that You Need to Know?

Due to the demand of our clients and the coming into force of the new Waste Permit (Facility) Regulations 2007, Keville & O’Sullivan Associates are running free Waste Information Seminars in Mayo, Clare and Galway during this month.

The new legislation, which came into action in June of this year, introduces a number of significant changes which are relevant to any current or future applicant of a waste facility permit.

The lunchtime seminars aim to get people up to speed with the changes relevant to their permit requirements over lunch.  The seminars, which have been a great success to date feature;

• Applicant and Permit Holder information details the changes, and requirements of the new Regulations. Getting informed now saves you money in the future
• Expert, non-technical interpretation of new regulations saves you time researching the legislation yourself
• One-hour, no waffle seminar over lunch gets you up to speed without taking time out of your working day
• Questions and Answers session after the Seminar addresses your queries specific to your business

Our final seminar is being run in Days Hotel, Dublin Road, Galway on Tuesday the 23^rd of September at 1 o’clock.  Anyone interested in attending the seminar should book their place now by calling, 091 704856. The seminars are free and a light lunch and refreshments are provided.

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Waste (Packaging) Regulations 2007 - Are you a Major Producer?

Under the Waste (Packaging) Regulations 2007, “Major Producers” have an annual turnover greater than €1 Million and place more than 10 tonnes of packaging onto the Irish market in a calendar year.  If your company is a “Major Producer” you have certain obligations under Irish waste packaging law.

Further to a study completed by the Clean Technology Centre based in Cork,  thousands of businesses throughout Ireland have been listed as being potential “Major Producers”. As a result, these businesses have been issued with a letter from their local Council requiring them to provide proof of whether they are indeed classed major producers or not. To satisfy the Councils request a waste packaging audit must be conducted to quantify the amount of waste packaging being produced.

Keville & O’Sullivan Associates are currently assisting several businesses in dealing with these requests.  Waste packaging audits undertaken by KOSA, quantify the amount of packaging waste produced by a business in a year. Our simple audit method ensures accurate data with minimal disruption to the business. If a business is deemed to be a major producer, all options for complying with the legislation can be costed, and the full implications of each option explained to the company involved.

If your company has been issued with a letter from your Local Council you can call Noriana at Keville & O’Sullivan Associates for advice on 091 704856.

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Helen Carty joins NPWS

Helen Carty, ecologist with K&OSA for the last 2 years, has accepted a position as conservation ranger for South Galway with the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
The position, based in Loughrea, provides Helen with new and different opportunities in terms of experience and we wish her all the best in her new role.

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K&OSA Health and Safety Week 2008

K&OSA held a very successful Health and Safety Week in-house last week.
All staff participated in Risk Assessment and Safe Working Procedures Workshops and the revised H&S Policy will be presented to staff at the end of September. A number of competitions were also run during the week, which culminated in a H&S Quiz and presentations of certificates to staff.

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Congratulations to Noreen Layden

Noreen Layden was conferred with her Doctorate in Environmental Engineering on Tuesday 26th August 2008.
This is a particularly unique achievement because Noreen submitted the first PhD thesis by publications at the University of Limerick. Also, the project was a co-supervised by leading experts in civil engineering from the University of British Columbia and Dayton & Knight Consulting Engineers Ltd, Vancouver, Canada.

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K&OSA Health and Safety Week 2008

K&OSA held a very successful Health and Safety Week in-house last week.

All staff participated in Risk Assessment and Safe Working Procedures Workshops and the revised H&S Policy will be presented to staff at the end of September. A number of competitions were also run during the week, which culminated in a H&S Quiz and presentations of certificates to staff.

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Waste Facility Permit Regulations 2007 - Are you Compliant?

The new Waste Facility Permit Regulations 2007 came into action in June 2008. In light of this, Local Authorities around the country are now issuing reviews to be completed by several waste facility permit holders.

Waste Facility Permit Reviews and re-applications are currently being dealt with for several clients by the waste management team here at Keville & O’Sullivan Associates.

Due to the demand by Clients and the New Regulations 2007, Keville & O’Sullivan Associates will be running Information Seminars around Connacht and Munster later this month to get you up to speed with the changes, benefits and disadvantages of the New Regulations.

For information on Seminars being run in your area or any queries in relation to your Waste Facility Permit please call our office at 091 704856 or email info@kosconsulting.com

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KOS complete Freshwater Pearl Mussel training

The ecology team at Keville & O’Sullivan Associates have all recently completed a training course for the surveying of Freshwater Pearl Mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera).
This training enables us to survey waterways for the presence or absence of Freshwater Pearl Mussel. Training was undertaken in rivers in Connemara and North Mayo, under the tutorage of the renowned Pearl Mussel expert Dr Evelyn Moorkens. The entire team were successful in completing the training to the satisfaction of Dr Moorkens and are now qualified to carry out presence/absence (stage 1) Pearl Mussel surveys. Please do not hesitate to contact us for any Pearl Mussel enquiries.

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KOS extended bat detection system

Keville & O'Sullivan Associates have recently taken delivery of a new Anabat SD1 frequency division bat detection system which will be used in forthcoming projects.
This system makes recordings of bat ultrasound calls that can be analysed later using computer software. The Anabat is useful for gathering information over extended periods of time and in areas that are not easy to access in darkness, although there are situations where other approaches to bat surveying are more appropriate. This system comes complete with a weatherproof housing and is capable of making recordings of bat activity at a site for up to a month.

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KOS Associates participating in BATLAS 2010

Ecologists from Keville & O’Sullivan Associates are participating in the BATLAS 2010 project in conjunction with Bat Conservation Ireland (BCI) this summer.
The project involves ‘square-bashing’ 10 kilometre squares throughout the country to augment current data on distribution patterns of all species of bat found in Ireland. Volunteers are requested to survey according to a methodology developed by BCI, which involves surveying three to four survey points within each 10 kilometre square for a minimum of 15 minutes on one occasion only, aiming to record the following species: common and soprano pipistrelle, Leisler’s bat and Daubenton’s bat using a bat detector and torch where required.
Details such as grid references, location, weather conditions etc. should also be recorded. Survey spots are only required to be surveyed once but ideally on mild, dry and calm evenings only. Funding for administration and materials are provided mainly by The National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Heritage Council and further information for interested volunteers is available on the BCI website: http://www.batconservationireland.org/.

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Staff Upskill at K&OSA

Staff members from the Ecology Section of KOSA have been busy undertaking CPD and improving field skills since the start of the summer season.
Chris Peppiatt, Helen Carty and Jen Fisher have recently obtained their Certificates in Mammal ID from the Mammal Society following participation at a course held in Derrygonnelly Field Studies Centre, Co. Tyrone. Staff from the Ecology Section also attended an intensive Grass ID course at the same venue in May, led by Judith Allinson, author of the AIDGAP key. The annual Bat Conservation Ireland (BCI) workshop was also attended last weekend by members of the KOSA ecology team. Upcoming CPD includes Stage 1 Survey Methods for Freshwater Pearl Mussel Survey (Margaritifera margaritifera) to be provided by malacologist, Dr. Evelyn Moorkens and a course in Aquatic Macrophytes, which is to take place in late summer in Derrygonnelly.

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Chris Peppiatt has been appointed to the Heritage Council's panel

Chris Peppiatt has recently been accepted as a member of the Heritage Council's panel of expert bat workers.
As a member of the panel he will be eligible to carry out bat and bird surveys of buildings receiving grants under the Heritage Council's 'Buildings at Risk' and 'Traditional Farm Buildings' (REPS 4) grant schemes.

Dr. Chris Peppiatt hold the position of Research Ecologist with Keville & O'Sullivan Associates, having worked with the company since 2004.

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A fine guide to farming and nature

By Dick Warner, 07 April 2008 - ON a recent visit to the west I was given a copy of a remarkable book called The Living Farmland — A Guide To Farming With Nature In Clare.

It’s a book that will be interesting and useful to a wide range of people, but its principal aim is to help farmers conserve the natural and built heritage of the countryside and minimise the environmental impact of their activities.

Because most of our countryside is owned by farmers this is obviously a very worthy aim. But it does sounds as though it might be rather boring, particularly in a book that runs to 228 large format pages. The book avoids this by being extremely well written — by somebody called Keville & O Sullivan Associates Ltd, plus a long list of contributing experts. It’s also beautifully illustrated with colour photographs and superbly designed by the Optic Nerve Design Group in Limerick. The design is important because there’s a mass of information, and the clever use of colour coding and cross referencing makes it relatively easy to access. I’ve already found myself using some of the appendices for reference. Nowhere have I come across things like the Irish species protected by EU Directives or waste legislation set out more clearly.

http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/2008/04/07/story59575.asp

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International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH) Annual Conference

This year’s IAH conference is being held in Tullamore Court hotel on the 22nd and 23rd of April with the theme being "Groundwater, A Resource at Risk?". “Public awareness of damage to groundwater resources has become more acute in recent times arising from cases of cryptosporidium in water supplies, reports of increasing biological contamination of private well waters and reported environmental impact of road construction on wetlands and all in the face of generally increasing water demand” .

Conference Flyer Link - http://www.iah-ireland.org/documents/2008%20IAH%20Flyer_Planetearthlogo.pdf

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'The Living Farmland'

'The Living Farmland - a guide to farming with nature in Clare' has prompted many positive reviews since its recent publication and launch by IFA President, Padraig Walshe. Intended as a reference manual for farmers and landowners in Co. Clare, it provides practical advice on land management for nature conservation, focussing on farmland habitats and common agri-environmental issues. Keville & O'Sullivan Associates were commisioned by Rural Resource Development in association with project partners Clare IFA, Teagasc and Clare County Council to undertake the research, compilation and drafting of this comprehensive multi-disciplinary publication, covering many diverse yet linked themes such as environmental legislation, land management from archaeological times to the present, farmland habitats and best pratice for nature conservation, agri-environmental schemes and case studies of local landowners, who are actively implementing eco-friendly farming practices on their land. Recent positive reviews by Michael Viney in his column in the Irish Times and on the Burren Beo website (http://www.burrenbeo.com/), amongst others, indicate that the publication has been well received. It is now hoped that the wealth of knowledge contained in the book will provide renewed inspiration for local landowners on the ground.

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Brownfield and Contaminated Land Remediation in Northern Ireland

Ken Scally, Associate Director with Keville & O'Sullivan Associates, speaks at the "Brownfield and Contaminated Land Remediation in Northern Ireland" in Belfast on the 9th and 10th of April 2008. His talk is entitled "Environmental forensics - the future of liability?" where he discusses within his presentation the following; Recent developments in environmental forensics, Will Environmental Forensics become standard practice in the future? and the cost of forensics. Further details on the conference can be found at the below link:

http://www.newzeye.com/conferences_education/conferences_display.cfm

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David Fallon has joined the staff at Keville & O'Sullivan Associates

David Fallon has joined the staff at Keville & O'Sullivan Associates as Assistant Ecologist within the Ecology division.

David holds degrees in both Forestry and Environmental Science, which he attained at the Galway Mayo Institute of Technology and the University of Ulster, Coleraine and is experienced in the identification of vascular plants, with specialist training in sedge identification and freshwater and subaerial algae.

In addition, David has extensive experience in various types of biodiversity surveys, from Daubenton’s bats to edible fungi to habitats to site assessment for the Native Woodland Scheme. He has worked with farmers and other landowners on projects involving REPS, forestry, and fisheries themes, for employers as diverse as Clare County Council, the Northern Regional Fisheries Board, and private REPS planners. David has also led many woodland walks explaining bats, other mammals, and other plants, for Clare Biodiversity Day, Mote Park Conservation Group, and for Heritage Week. He has practical experience in conservation: working with Groundwork removing rhododendron from Killarney National Park and with Conservation Volunteers Ireland on a project to prevent coastal erosion.

David has lectured in forest management at GMIT, as well as completing the national training in Native Woodland Scheme. He has been involved with the Mote Park Conservation Group since 2004 and is a member of the Environmental Scientists Association of Ireland, Crann and the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management.

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KOSA completes Strategic Environmental Assessment of Ballina & Environs Draft Development Plan

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is a process whereby plans and projects, whether local, regional or national, are evaluated for their consequences on the environment at an early stage in the decision-making process. The Planning and Development (Strategic Environmental Assessment) Regulations 2004 require that a Strategic Environmental Assessment be carried out in respect of Development Plans by Town Councils where the population of the area is 10,000 persons or more.

Keville & O’Sullivan Associates Ltd. was appointed to co-ordinate the SEA for the Ballina & Environs Draft Development Plan 2009 – 2015, and write an Environmental Report. The recently completed Environmental Report identifies, describes and evaluates the likely significant effects on the environment of implementing the Draft Plan. This report will be made available with the Draft Plan to the relevant authorities and to the public by Ballina Town Council. The Environmental Report and the outcome of the consultation process will then be taken into account during preparation of the final Development Plan before it is adopted.

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Keville & O'Sullivan Associates win Heritage Council award under the 2008 Wildlife Grant Scheme

K&OSA will receive a grant for an application entitled "The recovery of White-clawed Crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes populations following translocation and instream works in Co. Mayo". The aim of the project (led by Chris Peppiatt) is to resurvey a number of watercourses in the River Deel catchment beneath which a water supply pipeline was laid during works in summer-autumn 2006. During this work K&OSA staff captured and translocated more than 600 crayfish from four sites as they were dammed and drained. Full biometric data were collected for individuals before they were released upstream of the work sites.

 

Four sites at which crayfish were captured in 2006 will be surveyed and compared with areas immediately upstream and downstream of each. The data obtained will allow the age structure of the crayfish populations to be compared both with areas unaffected by the original works and with those that were recorded at the same sites when they were dewatered for the original pipeline works. We hope that this will allow assessment of the recovery of the crayfish populations at the sites where crayfish were removed before excavation and may indicate if the sites have been recolonised by adult or juvenile crayfish. In addition to the crayfish work, the affected watercourse sites will also be surveyed for bank state and aquatic macrophyte growth etc. in order to assess the extent of their recovery after the works and the effectiveness of mitigation measures in stabilising affected banks after the pipeline had been laid.

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COHAB International Workshop on Best Practice in Impact Assessment

Three Keville & O'Sullivan Associates staff members will attend a workshop entitled 'Best Practice in Impact Assessment - Systematic Approaches to Biodiversity in SEA and HIA', to be held in the Galway Radisson SAS Hotel at the end of February. This workshop will form part of a week of international discussions on biodiversity and human wellbeing that are taking place in Galway and centred around the Second International Conference on Health and Biodiversity. The workshop will be convened by the COHAB Initiative Secretariat in association with the International Association for Impact Assessment and the Secretariat to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

The workshop will aim to contribute to the development of capacities for biodiversity-inclusive impact assessments, taking into account the specific circumstances in which they should be applied. Speakers will include representatives from the International Association for Impact Assessment, the World Health Organisation and the Wildlife Trust amongst others. For more information visit www.cohabnet.org/sea.htm.

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Ken Scally has joined Keville & O'Sullivan Associates

Ken Scally has joined Keville & O'Sullivan Associates as Associate Director for the Environmental Monitoring divisions. He completed a MSc. in Forensic Chemistry at the Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) and his area of expertise includes environmental monitoring and forensic oil spill investigations. Ken is currently researching for his Ph.D. under Prof Paul Nathanail at the University of Nottingham. He holds an honours degree in Applied Science (Chemistry) from the University of Wolverhampton. Previously Ken studied at GMIT for a National Diploma in Science (Fine Chemicals / Pharmaceuticals) and a National Certificate in Science (Applied Chemistry) at Letterkenny Institute of Technology. Ken is a part time lecturer at the Sligo Institute of Technology teaching "Environmental Forensics" which is part of the Bachelor of Science degree in Forensic Investigation and Analysis. In the year 2000 Ken established the environmental testing laboratory Alcontrol Geochem Ireland as the General Manager having previously worked as a Senior Environmental Scientist for the Environmental Division of Bord na Mona. Ken has worked internationally with Dr Zhendi Wang of Environment Canada and Dr Robert Morrison of DPRA. Ken is an active advocate of the International Society of Environmental Forensics and he is on the editorial panel of the Journal of Environmental Forensics.

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