A High Court order has been passed calling for the ceasing of extraction of peat from a large area of peatlands in counties Westmeath, Cavan and Monaghan. The order has been welcomed by the Environmental Protection Agency. Harte Peat is a family-run business, and thought to be one of the largest suppliers to the Irish mushroom industry. The company had been trying to overturn a 2020 decision made by the EPA to refuse the company’s application for a licence to extract from lands in Westmeath.
It’s understood that the judgment and resultant order made last week has upheld the EPA’s position that the extraction of peat from an area greater than 50 hectares requires an Integrated Pollution Control licence from the EPA. The EPA says that this must be in place before any extraction of peat and any associated works such as drainage can take place.
The High Court imposed a limited, conditional stay on the taking effect of the order, to allow Harte Peat to lodge an appeal of the judgment. It must do so before 27 April 2022.
Commenting on the judgment EPA director of the Office of Environmental Enforcement, Dr. Tom Ryan, says “this judgment emphasises the importance of compliance with existing environmental regulations for the protection of the environment and confirms that operators cannot continue to extract peat in an uncontrolled and environmentally damaging way.”
He added that peat operators need to take heed of the judgment, respect the rule of law and the importance of compliance with existing regulations.