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WATER QUALITY, AIR & NOISE POLLUTION Catchment Management The principal piece of legislation relating to the protection of surface water, groundwater, tidal, and coastal water quality in Ireland is the EU Water Framework Directive. Nationally, work is ongoing on the second cycle of implementing the Directive in Ireland. The River Basin District Management Plan for Ireland (2018-2021) was published by the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government in April 2018. Under the provisions of the Plan, all public bodies are required to coordinate their policies, functions and operations so as to maintain existing good status water bodies and improve existing unsatisfactory water bodies. Local authorities play a key role in implementing the programmes of measures detailed in the Plan within their functional areas. Consultation work is also ongoing with the aim of delivering a new National River Basin Management Plan for the third cycle of implementation of the Water Framework Directive. The production of the new management plan will involve significant consultation with the public and other state agencies. During 2020, Sligo County Council continued to liaise with the Environmental Protection Agency and other state agencies in relation to implementing the current plan and the preparation of the new national plan. Management and operational committees were established, and Sligo County Council actively participated in the process of implementation during 2020. Nationally, the emphasis is on integrated catchment management and relates primarily to the following specific areas of work, which continued to be prioritized during 2020: Licensing and enforcement of trade and domestic effluent discharges to waters under the Local Government (Water Pollution) Act 1977, as amended. Assessing planning proposals for domestic, commercial, agricultural and forestry developments in terms of environmental impact, with particular reference to protection of water quality. Implementation of the National Inspection Plan for domestic wastewater treatment systems as published by the Environmental Protection Agency, and implementation of the recently introduced inspection procedures for domestic wastewater treatment systems in High Status Catchments and Priority Areas for Action detailed in the National River Basin District Management Plan. Implementation of the European Union (Good Agricultural Practice For Protection of Waters) Regulations 2017, S.I. No. 605 of 2017, as amended. Complaint and query response relating to general environmental, water quality and planning related issues.
SLIGO COUNTY COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2020
