EXISTING intensive poultry farms and large scale piggeries will require integrated pollution control (IPC) licences from the Environmental Protection Agency from next March, writes Frank McDonald, Environment Correspondent.
Under an order made by the Minister for the Environment, Mr Howlin IPC licensing is to be phased in for piggeries with more than 7,000 animals, with March and June of 1998 as the starting dates for different categories.
Any further extension of IPC licensing for intensive farming will depend on negotiations with the IFA, under the terms of Partnership 2000, on the cost and scope of such licensing, the Minister said.
With his latest order, IPC licensing commencement dates have been set for 80 per cent of established activities covered by the EPA Act. So far, the EPA has received 258 applications and issued 102 licences.