The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today (Fr 26 Jan 2007) announced details of its Proposed Decision to licence Shell E&P Ireland Limited to develop gas refinery and combustion plant facilities at Bellanaboy Bridge, Bellagelly South, County Mayo.

If approved, the proposed decision provides for the processing of 9.9 million cubic metres of natural gas per day that will be exported to the Bord Gais Eireann (BGE) distribution network. The proposed decision contains more than 85 individual conditions relating to the environmental management, operation, control and monitoring of the proposed refinery.

The EPA is satisfied that emissions from the refinery, when operated in accordance with the conditions of the proposed licence, will not adversely affect human health or the environment and will meet all relevant national and EU standards.

Conditions imposed include:
- Strict controls on emissions;
- A high standard of treatment of waste water prior to its discharge via a submarine pipeline off-shore at a depth of 65 metres and the discharge will be outside the Broadhaven Bay Special Area of Conservation.

The Office of Environmental Enforcement will monitor and enforce these conditions through environmental audits, unannounced site visits and systematic checks on emissions.

The licence application
The licence application, register number P0738-01, sought permission for the operation of a gas refinery and large combustion plant at the site.
The EPA has considered the application and supporting documentation, including an Environmental Impact Statement, received from the applicant, 35 valid submissions received from other parties and the report of its inspector.

Next steps
There now follows a 28-day public consultation period in which objections or requests for oral hearings can be lodged with the EPA by any person or body, including the applicant.

In this case the period ends on 21st February 2007 and objections should be directed to EPA Headquarters, PO Box 3000, Johnstown Castle Estate, Wexford. As the EPA can only consider objections received before the period ends it is essential that an objection be made to the EPA in good time. The objection procedures are set out in Regulations. Details of these, and the proposed decision, can be found on the EPA website at:
http://www.epa.ie/Licensing/IPPCLicensing/ShellProposedDecision/ . 

All objections, and submissions on objections, will be carefully considered before the EPA Board makes a final decision. As this is the first step in a statutory licensing process, the EPA is not in a position to comment further on the proposed decision.

EPA IPPC Licence Applications and all related documentation are available online.