156 registered quarries in Laois

12 quarries in Laois have open enforcement files against them

On site reviews of all the quarries was begun by the council during 2020. 110 were studied

https://www.leinsterexpress.ie/news/local-news/647220/illegal-quarries-destroying-the-laois-countryside.html

https://www.leinsterexpress.ie/news/local-news/640110/request-for-audit-into-laois-quarries-unsupported-by-councillors.html

Quarry Register

Roadstone Provinces Ltd

https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/home/636718/council-sends-warning-letter-to-owner-of-limerick-quarry.html

A warning letter under Section 152(1) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 as amended has been sent to Roadstone Provinces Ltd, Saggart, Co Dublin for “non compliance with condition no 1 attached to Quarry Registration and conditions no’s 2 and 18 attached to planning permission reference at Luddenbeg, Ballyneety, Co Limerick.”

The “non compliance” with conditions that the council refers to in its “warning letter” are:

1. The area subject to registration is outlined in red on the attached map. Any development outside this area will require the benefit of planning permission. All relevant conditions from permission 06 3689 to apply.

The reason for this is “in the interests of clarity”.

2. The permission is for a period of six years from the date of this order. No further extraction shall be permitted without a prior grant of planning permission and the restoration of the site shall be completed to the satisfaction of the planning authority within one year of the cessation of extraction works.

The reason is “in the interest of clarity having regard to the nature of the proposed development and to ensure satisfactory reinstatement of the site having regard to visual amenity”.

18. Before development commences a monitoring programme regarding noise, dust and water quality shall be agreed in writing with the planning authority for the duration of the extraction period. Independent environmental auditors approved by the planning authority shall carry out this programme, which shall be at the developers expense and made available  to the public for inspection at all reasonable hours at a location to be agreed with the planning authority.

The reason for this is “in the interest of residential amenity”.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40286594.html

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/spotlight/arid-40252907.html

https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/home/624838/what-lurks-beneath-limerick-quarry-asks-environmental-group.html

Here are some pictures of the Ballyneety Quarry as it stands right now. We have verified these images ourselves and reported the state of the quarry to Limerick City & County Council aswell as the EPA. The EPA have stated that this matter has nothing to do with them!! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/1s2FP9xXqy

— LAP (@LAP_Limerick) April 21, 2021

Maps and copies of any site reports (2003, 2008, 2012 with monitoring reports to 2019)

THE AVOCA MINE SITE, Vincent Gallagher and Pat O’Connor

Pollution of the Avoca River by mine water discharging from drainage adits of abandoned copper and sulphur mines at Avoca, Co. Wicklow, Ireland, is a long-recognised problem. In addition there is diffuse flow into the river. The river is severely affected by the mine water and is considered by the EPA to be the most severely polluted stretch of river in Ireland.

Many studies have taken place relating to the Avoca River and its remediation. Among these, the University of Newcastle, in connection with the Eastern Regional Fisheries Board, produced a report in July 2003 entitled Restoring the Avoca River.

The Newcastle report is here:

http://www.fishingireland.net/environment/avocareport.html

The preferred option for remediation was active treatment. However this can only be applied to the point discharges and does not take into account the diffuse flow and contaminated river sediments which are also contaminating the river quality.

The Camp Dresser McKee Ltd (CDM) report on the feasibility of managing and remediating the former mine site at Avoca, Co. Wicklow was completed in December 2008 and recommends active treatment of the point discharges into the Avoca River as well as treating the principal (spoil piles) cause of the contamination.

This Feasibility study also recognizes the importance of the diffuse flow and contaminated sediments and provides solutions for these also.

This report can be downloaded as PDF files from the links below:

Feasibility Study for the Management and Remediation of the Avoca Mining Site (2008)

Full report

Click to access CDMFeasibilityStudyFullReportDecember2008.pdf

Investigative Reports:
Data Report
Conceptual Site Model
Human Health Risk Assessment
Ecological Risk Assessment

Click to access CDMAvocaFeasibilityStudyInvestigativeReportsVolIDec2008.pdf

Click to access CDMAvocaFeasibilityStudyInvestigativeReportsVolIIDec2008.pdf

Environmental Monitoring at Avoca

In addition to the remediation work, continued monitoring to ensure no significant change in conditions occurs on site without detection was being provided for by way of a specialised Environmental Monitoring service

Note: the monitoring reports are not published after 2019, so unclear if the monitoring in ongoing

Avoca Monitoring Report Round 3 2019 (pdf, 9MB)

Avoca Monitoring Report Round 2 2018 (pdf, 19MB)

Avoca Monitoring Report Round 1 2018 (pdf, 4MB)

Avoca Monitoring Report Round 1 2017 (pdf, 7MB)

Avoca Monitoring Report Round 2 2016 (pdf, 6MB)

Avoca Monitoring Report Round 1 2016 (pdf, 7MB)

Avoca Monitoring Report Round 2 2015 (pdf, 10MB)

Avoca Monitoring Report Round 1 2015 (pdf, 9MB)

Avoca Monitoring Report Round 2 2014 (pdf, 8MB)

Avoca Monitoring Report Round 1 2014 (pdf, 9MB)

Avoca Monitoring Report Round 2 2013 (pdf, 10MB)

Avoca Monitoring Report Round 1 2013 (pdf, 9MB)

Evaluation of Rehabilitation Alternatives at the Abandoned Avoca Mining Site in Ireland (2012)

GIS Characterisation of Extract, Pre Landfill BluePrint, and Proposed Landfill Design (EPA Report)

https://t.co/55eIWeqFw7

Also see

The Avoca Mines

Avoca Mines: Uncontrolled Acid Mine Drainage in Ireland https://www.imwa.info/docs/imwa_1999/IMWA1999_Wright_551.pdf

IMC’S TAILINGS AND SPOILS AVOCA, Co Wicklow (PL 3849 and PL 3850) https://t.co/5lFphTSMMd

PQs on remediation budget

https://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2020-09-15a.372

To date, in excess of €5 million has been expended on remediation and monitoring costs at the site. Works undertaken include: the capping of open shafts; addressing the stability of the Dublin Rosslare railway line which passes through the site; regrading and capping the mine waste area at Tigroney West and constructing surface drains to divert the surface flow around or across the capped area into the river and vegetating the capped surface.  A number of actions were also undertaken to preserve mining heritage features on the site, notably the complete rehabilitation of a pair of historic ore bins.

https://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2020-11-03a.674

“An annual inspection of an underground tunnel, the 850 Adit, raised safety concerns about a section of the tunnel which passes under a local residential road in 2019.  This necessitated emergency repairs to the Adit between January and June 2020 to ensure its stability.

The Department allocated €1.1m funding for Avoca in 2020 of which in excess of €900,000 has been spent to date on the recent safety work undertaken at the 850 Adit. Funding of €450,000 is expected to be allocated for 2021. This funding will further support the monitoring of the site and will be used to re-evaluate the 2008 Feasibility study as a first step in the process to reappraise the approach to managing and restoring the site.”

https://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2022-01-19a.382

“In excess of €5 million has been expended on remediation and monitoring costs at the site. As well as the health and safety work, environmental monitoring of the site is undertaken to ensure no significant change in conditions occurs without detection. Department has allocated €450,000 in 2022 to further support the monitoring and maintenance of the Avoca mines and to re-evaluate the 2008 Feasibility study to reappraise the approach to managing and restoring the site.”

AIE Request

Under the AIE Regs to request details of

– the chair and members of the Project Board for the Avoca Mine Site in Wicklow
– agendas/minutes of Project Board meetings for 2020 to current date
– any reports generated by the Project Board in relation to the site from 2020 to current date
– copies of any Monitoring Reports completed after “Avoca Monitoring Report Round 3 2019”

For reference the Project Board is mentioned by Minister here

https://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2020-09-15a.372

Avoca Monitoring Report Round 3 2019 is the last published environmental monitoring report

Five companies are authorised to operate mines in Ireland:

Boliden Tara Mines (lead zinc mine, Co Meath)

• AER_P0516-04_2023.pdf
• AER_P0516-04_2023.pdf
• Monthly Report_Sulphate Levels TMF_February 2024.pdf
• Monthly Update Report_February 2024.pdf
• Appendix 4 Potable Water Supply Details 04.03.2024.pdf

https://www.boliden.com/operations/mines/boliden-tara

https://goo.gl/maps/HeSKkkL4q9b4kTkw9

Marble mines, Co Galway

Joyce’s Marble Quarries Ltd. / Connemara Marble Products Ltd.

Barnanoraun (part), County Galway

Tievebreen (part), County Galway

Cregg (part), Ballinahinch, County Galway

53.46786996142937, -9.727224509914068

Fireclay / Coal mine, Co Laois

Fleming’s Fireclays Ltd.

• Inspectors Report
• EOassessment-P0527-01.pdf
• Proposed Determination
• Flemings SW 4th Qtr Report 2023.pdf
• Flemings SW 3rd Qtr Report 2023.pdf

Moyadd (part), Aghadreen (part), Knockacrin (part) and Slatt Lower, County Laois

Gypsum mine, Co Monaghan

Gyproc, formerly known as Gypsum Industries

Gypsum, anhydrite and all other minerals

426 prospecting licenses are held by 43 companies

A Prospecting Licence typically covers some 35 square kilometers. There are currently over 2,000 delineated Licence Areas covering the whole country, which are defined by townland boundaries.

A searchable online map, with current licence holder information for all the Prospecting Licence Areas (PLA) and the composite townlands:

https://www.gov.ie/en/service/306e8-view-mineral-exploration-and-mining-maps-reports-and-data/

Minerals Prospecting Licences Granted – The licensed minerals are abbreviated as follows:
Base metals (Bm); Barytes (b); Gold, Ores of (g); Silver, Ores of (s); Platinum Group Elements, Ores of (PGE), Rare Earth Elements, Ores of (REE); Molybdenum, Ores of (Mo); Beryllium, Ores of (Be); Caesium, Ores of (Cs); Lithium, Ores of (Li); Niobium, Ores of (Nb); Rubidium, Ores of (Rb); Tantalum, Ores of (Ta); Tin, Ores of (Sn); Tungsten, Ores of (W); Manganese, Ores of (Mn); Cobalt, Ores of (Co); Iron, Ores of (Fe)

List of prospecting licenses:

https://www.gov.ie/ga/bailiuchan/d460d-six-monthly-reports-to-the-oireachtas-on-mineral-exploration-and-mining-in-ireland/#2021

The Lisheen Mine is closed, having ceased production in 2015

EPA: https://epawebapp.epa.ie/licences/lic_eDMS/rss/P0088-04.xml

The mine produced lead and zinc concentrates derived from sulphide rich ore hosted in dolomitised limestone.

Acid generating tailings from processing of the ore were deposited using the sub-aqueous technique in a fully composite lined tailings management facility (TMF), which is located on a peat bog.

The TMF is the largest fully lined tailings storage facility in Europe

Surface water run-off that falls on the TMF is converged into an engineered attenuation pond through three spillways. On exiting the pond, the surface water flows along an open channel, through another attenuation pond and out through the Clogheen stream and finally entering the Drish River.

Tailings storage at Lisheen Mine, Ireland

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S089268750300400X

https://ataglance.vedantaresources.com/our-contribution/case-studies/item/25-lisheen-closure