Environmental Issues
It is important to the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources that the environment is not damaged during exploration and extraction of minerals. Mineral exploration generally has at most minimal effects on the environment. EMD has published guidelines for good environmental practice in mineral exploration that must be adhered to by Prospecting Licence holders. Some advanced exploration such as trenching or bulk sampling is potentially more invasive. In recognition of this, such activities require the specific consent of the Minister which will only be forthcoming if it is shown that there will be no significant adverse impacts.
Mining, Land Use Planning and Environmental Protection
State Mining Leases and Licences issued under the Minerals Development Acts 1940 to 1999 are contracts permitting a developer to work minerals owned or controlled by the Minister for Communications Energy and Natural Resources. They contain clauses prohibiting the working of minerals without Planning Permission and if necessary an Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) licence from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). All development of minerals governed by the Minerals Development Acts is subject to Environmental Impact Assessment through the planning process, so any Planning Applications for such developments must be accompanied by an environmental impact assessment. The Minister is a statutory consultee for such applications and will pay particular attention to mining issues such as potential for subsidence, or results of dewatering if the development will be below the water table. Closure planning is a particular concern, including the need to ensure that funds will be available to ensure proper closure and rehabilitation. Modern Mining Leases and Licences will normally contain specific provisions reinforcing any planning conditions on these subjects.
The Minerals Development Acts provide that compensation must be paid for any damage to land, water supplies, or for nuisance. These are based on strict liability, which means that there is no need to demonstrate negligence, only that damage was caused by mineral working.
Government Acts with environmental reference to mining in Ireland
The government have produced laws to insure that the Irish environment remains unharmed by our mining industry.
More detailed information on mining and our environment will be available shortly on our sister website.
Rehabilitation of historic mine sites
These sites, such as Silvermines in Co. Tipperary and Avoca in Co. Wicklow, are valuable historic sites providing evidence of a long and prosperous mining history in Ireland. However, appreciation of the need to ensure proper rehabilitation of mine sites is a relatively new phenomenon. Therefore, some of these old mine sites were not closed according to modern standards.
Activities to address this issue include:
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