Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. In 2006, following incidents at active mine sites in Spain and Romania, the European Union introduced Directive 2006/21/EC on the management of waste from extractive industries. Article 20 of the directive requires member states to produce an inventory of closed mine waste facilities. The directive was transposed into Irish law by SI 566/2009, also known as the Waste Management (Management of Waste from the Extractive Industries) Regulations 2009. Article 20 of the 2009 regulations provides that the EPA shall ensure an inventory of closed waste facilities, including abandoned waste facilities which cause serious negative environmental impacts or which have the potential to become in the medium or short term a serious threat to human health or the environment, is drawn up and periodically updated. Such an inventory which was to be made available to the public was to be carried out by 1 May 2012.

In response to this requirement, a comprehensive historical mine site inventory was undertaken by the EPA, the Geological Survey of Ireland, GSI, and the exploration and mining division of my Department which carried out surveys and analyses of mine sites. The work completed was published and included drawings, maps and diagrams of each of the closed mine sites. The report on the study entitled, Historic Mine Sites - Inventory and Risk Classification, was produced in 2009 and has resulted in the most comprehensive inventory of closed mine sites in Ireland. Geochemical site investigations were carried out at each mine site, consisting of analysis of solid waste, surface water, ground water, stream sediments and soil. There is a detailed review of the geochemistry of each mine site studied for the project. The report classifies the sites that present the greatest threat to human and animal health and the environment. The project initially located 220 mine sites across the country at which there had been extraction of minerals using the GSI databases. Of these, 128 were screened and 110 individual mine sites were identified for inclusion in the historical mine sites study. In the historical mine sites inventory and risk classification study, 27 historical mine sites and districts were assessed using a source pathway receptor conceptual model and then scored and assigned to one of five classes. Three mine sites, at Avoca, Silvermines and Tynagh, were scored at the highest risk. The report is available on the EPA's website.

Given the existing requirement in Irish law for the EPA to maintain a list of mine waste sites and the implementation and publication of the historical mine sites inventory and risk classification study, the Deputy's objectives have already been achieved. As such, it is not proposed to accept the amendment.

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