The Rivers Trust is calling for a complete ban in Ireland on the manufacture, sale, distribution or free offer of single-use disposable vaping devices.

Responding to the recent public consultation on disposable vaping devices, the river conservation charity wants single-use plastic vapes removed from sale because of their increasing pollution impact on inland waterways and the marine environment.

Dr Constanze O’Toole, Ireland development manager for The Rivers Trust said: “Disposable vapes containing plastic, electronics, chemicals and lithium-ion batteries are increasingly leaching harmful waste materials such as mercury and cadmium into our rivers and waterways, which is posing a threat to human health and nature’s biodiversity.

“The prevalence of disposable vapes as a source of litter pollution in Ireland is staggering, with nearly 12.5 million vapes estimated to have been sold last year alone.

“The return and recycle rate for disposable vapes is exceptionally low and the message that they must be recycled is not cutting through to the public. Unfortunately, the improper disposal of these vapes, often due to confusion among consumers on recycling methods, results in a major source of chemical and plastic pollution in our rivers.

“That is why we are calling on Minister Ryan to now ban the manufacture, sale, and distribution of single-use disposable vaping devices in Ireland. The current use of such vapes is not compliant with Ireland’s commitments to The Circular Economy Act or the EU Directive on Single-Use Plastics.”

O’Toole emphasised the risks that disposable vapes pose to aquatic life: “Birds, animals, and fish are at risk of ingesting plastic fragments and toxic chemicals, disrupting the delicate balance of our ecosystems. This not only affects aquatic animal, insect and plant species but also poses risks to humans who rely on these waterways for drinking water abstraction and recreational activities.”

She added that The Rivers Trust “firmly believes that a comprehensive ban on single-use disposable vapes is a necessary step towards preserving the health of our waterways.

“By reducing the amount of non-biodegradable waste entering rivers and marine environments, we can mitigate the environmental damage caused by these items. Moreover, such a ban will serve as an opportunity to raise public awareness about the proper disposal of vapes, it also reinforces understanding of the vulnerability of our rivers and the need for all of us to protect them.”

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has secured a prosecution against Uisce Éireann for pollution of the River Liffey at a water treatment plant in Ballymore Eustace, Co Kildare.

At a recent sitting of Naas District Court, Judge Desmond Zaidan convicted Uisce Éireann (formerly Irish Water) of water pollution offences in the Liffey, which dated to June 2022.

The conviction was secured against Uisce Éireann on Monday 3 July under Section 171 of the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act 1959, for allowing deleterious matter to enter the River Liffey’s main channel upstream of Ballymore Eustace.

Uisce Éireann pleaded guilty to the charges and was fined €5,000, and ordered to pay an additional €5,500 in costs and expenses.

Commenting on the case, Brian Beckett, Eastern River Basin District Director at IFI said: “Point-source pollution events such as this are entirely avoidable through good on-site management, regular visual checks, and monitoring of discharge points.

“Effluent discharges can significantly impact fish populations and other aquatic life of receiving waters. River Liffey fish populations, comprising several fish species, are under significant ecological pressure.

“Despite this pressure, the River Liffey remains one of only a handful of European capital cities through which a self-sustaining population of Atlantic salmon migrate.

“Fines imposed in this case will be invested in water quality and habitat improvements in the River Liffey catchment.

“IFI is currently working on a number of initiatives in the River Liffey catchment with regulatory and non-regulatory stakeholders with a view to maximising the sustainability of all fish — including Atlantic salmon — and their habitat.”

Members of the public are encouraged to report instances of water pollution, illegal fishing or fish kills to IFI’s confidential number at 0818 34 74 24.

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has confirmed recent successful prosecutions against two industries operating at Lough Egish Food Park in Castleblayney, Co Monaghan.

At Monaghan District Court, Judge Raymond Finnegan convicted Bio-marine Ingredients Ireland Limited and Stillorgan Trading Post Limited (trading as Swift Fine Foods) of water pollution offences.

Both companies pleaded guilty to the charges and were fined €500 each.

Bio-marine Ingredients Ireland Limited was ordered to pay an additional €3,249.78. Stillorgan Trading Post Limited (trading as Swift Fine Foods) was ordered to pay €2,329.78.

Commenting on the recent convictions, Dr Milton Matthews, North West River Basin District Director at IFI said: “Point-source pollution events such as these are entirely avoidable through good site management and regular visual checks of discharge outlet pipes.

“Unauthorised effluent discharge events can significantly impact the fish stocks and other aquatic life of receiving waters.”

Water quality activists have alleged that people are “getting ill” after swimming at beaches in Northern Ireland, as BelfastLive reports.

Campaign group Surfers Against Sewage suggests that the public is being let down by NI’s water testing system, which currently only runs in the summer months and is limited to 26 beaches.

“It’s time something was done about…the overspills from NI Water and the poor water quality in Northern Ireland,” said Surfers Against Sewage’s local rep Declan McMenamin.

“It’s up to NI Water, DAERA and those involved to start taking it more seriously because people are getting ill. We want answers.”

A spokesperson for NI Water confirmed that the body “does not keep a record of the number of occasions, duration, or actual volumes of overflows into public waterways from its sewerage system”.

BelfastLive has much more on the story HERE.

The forthcoming edition of The Ocean Race, which sets sail from Alicante on 15 January, is set to feature the most ambitious and comprehensive science programme created by a sporting event.

Every boat participating in the gruelling six-month around-the-world race will carry specialist equipment onboard to measure a range of variables throughout the 60,000km route, which will be analysed by scientists from eight leading research organisations to further understanding about the state of the ocean.

Sailing through some of the most remote parts of the planet, seldom reached by scientific vessels, teams will have a unique opportunity to collect vital data where information is lacking on two of the biggest threats to the health of the seas: the impact of climate change and plastic pollution.

Launched during the 2017-18 edition of the race in collaboration with 11th Hour Racing — premier partner of The Ocean Race and founding partner of the Racing with Purpose sustainability programme — the innovative science programme will capture even more types of data in the forthcoming race, including for the first time levels of oxygen and trace elements in the water.

Data will also be delivered to science partners faster in this edition, transmitted via satellite and reaching the organisations, which includes World Meteorological Organisation, National Oceanography Centre, Max Planck Society, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in real time.

Stefan Raimund, science lead at The Ocean Race, said: “A healthy ocean isn’t just vital to the sport we love, it regulates the climate, provides food for billions of people and supplies half the planet’s oxygen. Its decline impacts the entire world. To halt it, we need to supply governments and organisations with scientific evidence and demand they act on it.

“We are in a unique position to contribute to this; data collected during our previous races has been included in crucial reports about the state of the planet that have informed and influenced decisions by governments. Knowing that we can make a difference in this way has inspired us to expand our science programme even further and collaborate with more of the world’s leading science organisations to support their vital research.”

The journey of the data captured in The Ocean Race science programme

In total, 15 types of environmental data will be collected during The Ocean Race 2022-23, including:

• Indicators of climate change: Two boats, 11th Hour Racing Team and Team Malizia, will carry OceanPacks, which take water samples to measure levels of carbon dioxide, oxygen, salinity and temperature, providing insights about the impact of climate change on the ocean. Trace elements, including iron, zinc, copper and manganese, will also be captured for the first time. These elements are vital for the growth of plankton, an essential organism as it is the first part of the food chain and the ocean’s biggest producers of oxygen.
• Plastic pollution: GUYOT environnement – Team Europe and Holcim – PRB will take regular water samples throughout the race to test for microplastics. As with the previous edition of the Race, the amount of microplastics will be measured throughout the route and, for the first time, samples will also be analysed to determine which plastic product the fragments originated from (for example, a bottle or carrier bag).
• Meteorological data: The entire fleet will use onboard weather sensors to measure wind speed, wind direction and air temperature. Some teams will also deploy drifter buoys in the Southern Ocean to capture these measurements on an ongoing basis, along with location data, which helps to grow understanding about how currents and the climate are changing. Meteorological data will help to improve weather forecasts and are particularly valuable for predicting extreme weather events, as well as revealing insights on longer-term climate trends.
• Ocean Biodiversity: Biotherm is collaborating with the Tara Ocean Foundation to trial an experimental research project to study ocean biodiversity during the Race. An onboard automated microscope will record images of marine phytoplankton on the ocean surface, which will be analysed to provide insights on phytoplankton diversity in the ocean, along with biodiversity, food webs and the carbon cycle.

All of the collected data is open-source and shared with The Ocean Race’s science partners: organisations across the world that are examining the impact of human activity on the ocean. It will feed into reports including those from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and databases such as the Surface Ocean Carbon Dioxide Atlas, which provides data for the Global Carbon Budget, a yearly assessment of carbon dioxide that informs targets and predictions for carbon reduction.

Véronique Garçon, senior scientist at CNRS said: “The Ocean Race’s science programme is vital for the science community and their work to support the UN Decade of Ocean Science. The data gathered by the boats from remote parts of the world, where information is scarce, is particularly valuable.

“Put simply, the more data we have, the more accurately we can understand the ocean’s capacity to cope with climate change and predict what will happen to the climate in future.”

The Ocean Race’s science programme, which is supported by 11th Hour Racing, Time to Act partner Ulysse Nardin and Official Plastic-Free Ocean partner Archwey, is being ramped up at a time when the impact of human activity on the ocean is becoming more widely understood.

Recent studies have highlighted how higher temperatures in the ocean are fuelling extreme weather events and sea levels are projected to rise at a faster rate than anticipated, while whales have been found to ingest millions of microplastics every day.

State-owned forestry company Coillte and its contractor, Oliver Kelly Timber Harvesting Ltd, have both pleaded guilty to breaches of the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act 1959 in a case brought by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI).

Following reports of pollution in November 2021 along the Glenaboy River, a tributary of the Bride River in Co Cork, officers from IFI found heavy deposits of silt, vehicle tracks in the river bed and a lack of adequate silt control in an area where Oliver Kelly Timber Harvesting Ltd had been carrying out thinning operations on behalf of Coillte.

As a result, IFI estimated that significant damage had been done to spawning beds and that a valuable stretch of the river had been lost to spawning wild Atlantic salmon and sea trout that year.

Sitting before Judge Colm Roberts at Mallow District Court on Monday 28 November, Coillte pleaded guilty to a breach of Section 171 (1) of the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act 1959.

Also before the court on that date was Oliver Kelly Timber Harvesting Ltd, which Judge Roberts believed were the main instigators of the silt discharge to the Glenaboy River.

Judge Roberts afforded Coillte the benefit of the Probation of Offenders Act and ordered a payment of €2,000 to Tallow TidyTowns Committee.

Oliver Kelly Timber Harvesting Ltd were also found guilty of a breach of Section 171 as well as Section 173 of the 1959 Act and Section 3 of the Local Government (Water Pollution) (Amendment) Act 1977. The company was also given the benefit of the Probation Act and ordered to pay €2,000 to the Tallow Anglers Association, €1,500 to the Tallow TidyTowns Committee and post a bond of €1,500 for a period of two years under Section 1-1(2) of the Probation Act.

The court heard evidence that IFI officers, including senior fisheries environmental officer Andrew Gillespie, visited the location between Sunday 20 and Tuesday 22 November following reports of pollution.

There was evidence of silt in the river over a five-kilometre stretch downstream of the thinning operation’s location. Gillespie highlighted that the time of the occurrence, in November, was particularly relevant as it was the critical spawning period and that the effect of the silt discharge would be to smother any eggs deposited in the spawning gravels.

Speaking in court, Judge Roberts remarked that Coillte “didn’t properly supervise” the thinning operations and that their contractor “didn’t supervise properly as he was overstretched,” before observing that “when State agencies fail in their obligations, we are in big trouble”.

Sean Long, director of the South Western River Basin District at IFI welcomed the decision, noting that neither Coillte nor their contractor had been before the courts before and had cooperated fully with IFI to implement immediate mitigation measures at the site.

Speaking after verdict was delivered, Long said: “Located in the Munster Blackwater Special Area of Conservation, the Glenaboy River is a very important spawning ground for returning wild Atlantic salmon and sea trout, which are very vulnerable species protected by conservation measures and legislation.

“Sadly, the damage that was done to these spawning beds through pollution was significant, meaning that a valuable stretch of this river had been lost for spawning salmon and sea trout last year.”

Mandatory downstream river warnings after pollution incidents and stricter controls on treatment of urban wastewater, which affects the marine environment, are among measures proposed by the European Commission to ensure cleaner air and water.

The proposals, which will now be considered by the European Parliament and the Council, will take effect progressively, with different targets for 2030, 2040, and 2050, it says.

This will give industry and authorities time to adapt and invest where necessary, the Commission says.

The proposals are part of the European Green Deal's zero pollution ambition of having an “environment free of harmful pollution by 2050”.

“The quality of the air we breathe and the water we use is fundamental for our lives and the future of our societies,” Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, said.

“Polluted air and water harm our health and our economy and the environment, affecting the vulnerable most of all. It is, therefore, our duty to clean up air and water for our own and future generations,” he said.

“The cost of inaction is far greater than the cost of prevention. That is why the Commission is acting now to ensure coordinated action across the Union to better tackle pollution at source - locally and cross-border,” he said.

The revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive will “help Europeans benefit from cleaner rivers, lakes, groundwaters and seas, while making wastewater treatment more cost-effective,” the Commission says.

“To make the best possible use of wastewater as a resource, it is proposed to aim for energy-neutrality of the sector by 2040, and improve the quality of sludge to allow for more reuse contributing thus to a more circular economy,”it says.

Obligations to recover nutrients from wastewater, new standards for micropollutants and new monitoring requirements for microplastics are among the new measures.

As 92% toxic micro-pollutants found in EU wastewaters come from pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, a new Extended Producer Responsibility scheme will require producers to pay for the cost of removing them, the Commission says. 

“This is in line with the ‘polluter pays' principle and it will also incentivise research and innovation into toxic-free products, as well as making financing of wastewater treatment fairer,”it says.

Building upon the Covid-19 experience, the Commission says it proposes to systematically monitor wastewater for several viruses, including CoV-SARS-19, and anti-microbial resistance.

EU countries will be required to ensure access to sanitation for all, in particular vulnerable and marginalised groups.

EU countries will be required to track industrial pollution at source to increase the possibilities of re-using sludge and treated wastewater, avoiding the loss of resources. Rules on recovering phosphorus from sludge will support their use to make fertiliser, benefiting food production.

The changes are estimated to increase costs by 3.8% (to €3.8 billion a year in 2040) for a benefit of over €6.6 billion a year, with a positive cost-benefit ratio in each Member State.

Based on up-to-date scientific evidence, the Commission is proposing to update lists of water pollutants, and 25 substances with well-documented problematic effects on nature and human health will be added to the lists.

These include:

• PFAS, a large group of “forever chemicals” used among others in cookware, clothing and furniture, fire-fighting foam and personal care products;
• a range of pesticides and pesticide degradation products, such as glyphosate;
• Bisphenol A, a plasticiser and a component of plastic packaging;
• some pharmaceuticals used as painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as antibiotics.

The substances and their standards have been selected in a transparent and science-driven process.

Drawing on the lessons from incidents such as the mass death of fish in the Oder river, the Commission proposes mandatory downstream river basin warnings after incidents.

Standards for 16 pollutants already covered by the rules, including heavy metals and industrial chemicals, will be updated (mostly tightened) and four pollutants that are no longer an EU-wide threat will be removed, it says.

The negative impact of paper tissues on water consumption and pollution is the theme of the winning entry in an annual Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) contest for young people.

Wong Cheuk Yin Cayden, a student at St Columba’s College in Dublin, combined digital animation with live action, scripting and voiceover to create his video for the EPA’s “ The Story of Your Stuff” competition.

He examined the effects of tissue manufacturing on water consumption, pollution through use of chlorine to make tissues white, habitat destruction and human health.

He calculated that the average person uses 5.2kg of tissues a year, involving more use of water than the average annual Irish consumption per person of same.

Yin Cayden’s video points viewers to more environmentally friendly alternatives, and concludes with a strong reminder to take small steps for a lasting positive impact.

He was awarded 500 euro for himself along with 500 euro for his school.

The use of wet wipes – also harmful to the marine environment – secured the Irish-language prize in the EPA contest for Ellie Ni Chonaill and Anna Ní Mhurchú from Gaelcholaiste Charraig Ui Leighin, Co Chorcaí .

The “climate topic” prize was awarded to Hari Pranavam, Kimi Alcantara, Conall O’Brien and Raeem Siddiqui from Saint Eunans College, Co. Donegal for their entry, entitled “The Story of Beef”.

Now in its sixth year, the EPA competition attracted over 200 entries from schools across the country, as well as the highest number of Irish language entries to date.

The competition encourages young students to realise the influence they can have on their friends and family when it comes to making environmentally responsible consumer choices, according to the EPA.

“With its focus on sustainability, waste management, climate action and environmental protection, the competition asks young people to think, talk and make small changes that can have far-reaching impacts,”the EPA says.

“We are once again heartened by the extent and depth of the response among students to this year’s ‘The Story of Your Stuff’ competition,” Dr Jonathan Derham of the EPA and chair of the judging panel said.

“ This reflects the sincere commitment of Ireland’s young people to encouraging behaviour change and driving climate action. Moreover, it highlights how our young people view environmental issues in a way that is creative, proactive and solutions oriented,” he said.

Holly Walshe from Loreto College Foxrock, Co Dublin won second prize for “The Story of Pens”.

Liam O'Sullivan, Thomas Shaughnessy, Michael Duggan and Lochlann Mechan from Portumna Community School, Co. Galway came third for their video, “The Story of Circuit Boards”.

All winning entries can be viewed here. 

A new initiative to raise awareness about the spread of harmful invasive plant species and the impact of litter on Irish inland waterways has been launched.

The ‘Check, Clean, Dry’ campaign aims to raise awareness about biosecurity and the impacts of litter and is calling on the public to play their part in protecting Ireland’s waterways.

It asks anyone who goes out on the water to help in reducing the risk of spreading invasive species and disease by following the ‘Check, Clean, Dry’ principles:

• Check boats, equipment, clothing and footwear for any plant or animal material, including seeds, spores and soil. Pay particular attention to areas that are damp or hard to inspect.
• Clean and wash all equipment, footwear and clothes thoroughly. If you do come across any plants and animals, leave them at the water body where you found them.
• Dry all equipment and clothing for at least 48 hours — some species can live for many days or weeks in moist conditions. Make sure you don’t transfer water elsewhere. (If complete drying is not possible then disinfect everything.)

Leave No Trace Ireland is leading the initiative in partnership with Waterways Ireland, the National Biodiversity Data Centre, Sport Ireland, Canoeing Ireland, Inland Fisheries Ireland, Marine Institute, Outdoor Recreation Northern Ireland and Sport Northern Ireland, with the support of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).

Launching the campaign, Padraic Creedon, ecologist with Leave No Trace Ireland, said biosecurity is all about reducing the risk of introducing or spreading invasive species and harmful disease in rural and urban environments.

“Ireland is facing an increased threat of invasive alien species in and on its waterways,” he said. “These are non-native species that have been introduced by human intervention, outside their natural range that can threaten our native wildlife, cause damage to our environment, economy and human health.

“Water soldier (Stratiotes aloides), chub and pink salmon are just some of the species threatening Ireland’s waterways.”

Waterways Ireland chief executive John McDonagh added that the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland navigations “is delighted to partner on this important campaign with Leave No Trace Ireland.

‘The introduction or spread of invasive species is of key concern as it negatively impacts our native biodiversity’

“Our inland waterways are rich ecological and heritage corridors, enjoyed by a variety of recreational users. The introduction or spread of invasive species, both terrestrial and aquatic, is of key concern as it negatively impacts our native biodiversity and can seriously disrupt people’s enjoyment of the waterways.

“We would strongly urge our users to adopt the ‘Check, Clean, Dry’ approach so we can all work together to preserve this valuable resource for current and future generations.”

Malcolm Noonan, Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, also expressed his support for the campaign. The minister noted that tackling invasive alien species is vital to our efforts to halt biodiversity loss, and that the Programme for Government provides for development of a new National Invasive Species Management Plan.

“Invasive species are a serious threat to our biodiversity, and I fully support the efforts of Leave No Trace and their partners in this new campaign to raise awareness about ‘Check, Clean, Dry’ protocols,” he said.

“I’m delighted to see my Department’s strong engagement in this initiative through Waterways Ireland and the National Parks and Wildlife Service, and hope that it will help to improve vital biosecurity measures all over this island’s waterways.

“Through the British Irish Council, the NPWS also engages with counterparts in Great Britain to encourage water users on both sides of the Irish Sea to apply these simple but effective measures.”

Information and updates on the ‘Check, Clean, Dry’ Campaign will be available on the National Biodiversity Data Centre’s new invasive species website at invasives.ie as well as through Leave No Trace Ireland’s website and its partners’ social media channels.

Irish Water has admitted multiple counts over a pollution event that threatened vulnerable freshwater pearl mussels in a Co Cork river, as The Irish Times reports.

The water utility pleaded guilty to eight counts of breaching is licence terms in connection with highly elevated levels of ammonia and orthophosphate in run-off from a treatment plant in Boherbue, in the northwest of the county.

The case was brought by the Environmental Protection Agency, who gave evidence to the court on the status of the rare mussels in the protected conservation area of the Brogeen River.

The Irish Times has more on the story HERE.