Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 469: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his policy regarding the clean up of old mining sites; if an old mine site clean up is mandatory; and if an old mine site clean up can be undertaken to ensure the protection of the tourism potential of the mine site. [42574/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

In accordance with Directive 2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2006 on the management of waste from the extractive industries (the Mining Waste Directive), Member States are obliged to ensure that an inventory of closed waste facilities, including abandoned waste facilities, located in their territory which cause serious negative environmental impacts or have the potential of becoming in the medium or short term a serious threat to human health, is drawn up and periodically updated. Such an inventory, to be made available to the public, it is be carried out by 1 May 2012. The Directive does not oblige the Member States to carry out any further studies or action on the included sites.

A national project is currently underway to establish such an inventory of historic mine sites and my Department understands it will shortly be completed. The EPA, the Geological Survey of Ireland and the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (DCENR) are undertaking the project which is entitled Historic Mine Site — Inventory and Risk Characterisation (HMS — IRC) (details can be accessed at www.epa.ie/whatwedo/enforce/pa/mines). The objectives of the project are to carry out detailed site investigations at priority mine sites (metal and coal) in Ireland and to assess the potential risk posed by these sites to human health and safety and the environment.

The sites will be ranked according to their potential risk and recommendations will be made in relation to their management. Areas in Ireland significantly affected by historic mining activities include the Silvermines area in County Tipperary, the Avoca river and surrounding area in County Wicklow and the Tynagh mine site in County Galway. DCENR has made funding available for remediation of the Silvermines area, with the work carried out by Tipperary North County Council, and has also commissioned a feasibility study for the management and remediation of the Avoca mining area.

The remediation of mine sites is not a matter for my Department. The standing Government position is that Ministers are responsible for the environmental implications of their own policy areas and programmes.