Local Government (Water Pollution) Act 1977

Notification of accidental discharges.

14

14. — (1) As soon as practicable after the occurrence of an accidental discharge, spillage or deposit of any polluting matter which enters or is likely to enter any waters or a sewer, the person responsible shall notify the local authority in whose functional area the discharge, spillage or deposit occurs or, in the case of a sewer, the sanitary authority in which the sewer is vested or by which it is controlled.

F36[(2) A person who fails to comply with subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding €5,000, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months, or both.]

(3) F37[…]

Annotations:

Amendments:

F36

Substituted (31.12.2007) by Water Services Act 2007 (30/2007), s. 110(1)(f), S.I. No. 846 of 2007, art. 2. A fine of €5,000 translates into a class A fine, not exceeding €5,000, as provided (4.01.2011) by Fines Act 2010 (8/2010), ss. 3, 4(3) and table ref. no. 1, S.I. No. 662 of 2021.

F37

Repealed (18.07.1990) by Local Government (Water Pollution) (Amendment) Act 1990 (21/1990), s. 30, commenced on enactment.

Modifications (not altering text):

C27

Application of section modified (1.08.1994) by Environmental Protection Agency (Extension of Powers) Order 1994 (S.I. No. 206 of 1994), arts. 7-9 and sch., in effect as per art. 2.

7. Section 14 of the Act of 1977 as modified by this Order shall apply to the Agency in addition to the local authority or sanitary authority for the purposes of the prevention or limitation, or the remedying of the effects, as the case may be, of water pollution from an activity, other than an activity to which section 99 (2) of the Act applies, in respect of which a licence or revised licence under Part IV of the Act is in force.

8. For the purposes of article 7—

( a ) anything required to be done in relation to the local authority or sanitary authority under section 14 of the Act of 1977 shall be done to the Agency in addition to the local authority or sanitary authority, as the case may be, and

( b ) a prosecution for an offence under section 14 of the Act of 1977 may be taken by the local authority, sanitary authority or the Agency.

9. For the purposes of articles 7 and 8, section 14 of the Act of 1977 shall apply as modified in the manner set out in the First Schedule.

...

FIRST SCHEDULE

Modifications of the Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts 1977 and 1990

The provisions of the Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts, 1977 and 1990 as modified for the purposes of articles 6 (2) and 9 are set out as follows—

...

Section 14 (1) of the Act of 1977

"14 (1) As soon as practicable after the occurrence of an accidental discharge, spillage or deposit of any polluting matter which enters or is likely to enter any waters or a sewer, the person responsible shall notify—

( a ) the local authority in whose functional area the discharge, spillage or deposit occurs or, in the case of a sewer, the sanitary authority in which the sewer is vested or by which it is controlled, and

( b ) in the case of an activity in respect of which a licence or revised licence under Part IV of the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992 , is in force, the Environmental Protection Agency.".

...

Editorial Notes:

E86

Offence under section is offence for purposes of Waste Management (Facility Permit and Registration) Regulations 2007, reg. 36 (revocation of a waste facility permit) and reg. 38 (review, amendment, revocation or transfer of a certificate of registration) as provided (31.03.2008) by Waste Management (Facility Permit and Registration) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 821 of 2007), reg. 22(h), in effect as per reg. 2.

E87

Offence under section is an offence for the purposes of Waste Management Act 1996 (10/1996), s. 34(5)(a) as provided (31.03.2008) by Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 820 of 2007), reg. 21(h), in effect as per reg. 1(2).

E88

Offence under section may be prosecuted by the local authority in or adjoining whose functional area any of the waters concerned are situated or a sanitary authority in which the sewer concerned is vested or by which it is controlled as provided (18.07.1990) by Local Government (Water Pollution) (Amendment) Act 1990 (21/1990), s. 27(a) and Table Part I, commenced on enactment.

E89

Previous affecting provision: offence under section was an offence for the purposes of Waste Management Act 1996 (10/1996), s. 34(5)(a) as provided (30.08.2001) by Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2001 (S.I. No. 402 of 2001), reg. 19(h); revoked (31.03.20008) by Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 820 of 2007), reg. 2(1) and sch. 1, subject to transitional provisions in paras. (2), (3).

E90

Previous affecting provision: functions transferred (1.09.1994) by Environmental Protection Agency (Licensing) Regulations 1994 (S.I. No. 85 of 1994), reg. 43, in effect as per reg. 2(b); revoked (24.07.2013) by Environmental Protection Agency (Integrated Pollution Control) (Licensing) Regulations 2013 (S.I. No. 283 of 2013), reg. 42 and sch. 2.

E91

Previous affecting provision: application of section modified (18.07.1990) by Local Government (Water Pollution) (Amendment) Act 1990 (21/1990), s. 24(3), commenced on enactment; section repealed (31.12.2007) by Water Services Act 2007 (30/2007), s. 4(1) and sch. 1, S.I. No. 846 of 2007, art. 4 and sch.