John G and the EPA/Local authorities!

[dublostinmeath]

I am puzzeled and confused by John Gormely and his remarks to local authoritys and the EPA lately. As you know from the news the EPA is concerned about the amount of sewage leakage by local authorities. John Gormely thinks that the EPA should fine local authorities for not sampleing. Thats brilliant. Yes it may make them correct the sampleing problem but it raises another problem in my opinion.

If the EPA fine local authorities, does that mean the local authorities must divert funds from public services to pay for these fines? What does the EPA do with the money it receives from the fine? Surly the only people who gain from this couse of action is legal depts etc! It takes money from local authorities and sends it to stupid places I imagine!


Is it not a far greater idea to tell local authorities that if they do not sample the water etc the EPA will hire consultants to do it and bill the local authorities. No fines and the work is done! Problem solved! If the bill is not paid by local authorities funds can then be diverted from the local authority by goverment! No Solicitors, No legal fees!

It just seems daft to fine a local authority at the moment when funds are being cut already! More importantly its actually us who suffer with a cut in services!

[truthforsooth]

I'd say that's the way the Water Framework Directive is to be implemented in Ireland - local authorities are responsible for the water quality in their areas. EPA is the enforcing authority. It's not the EPA's role to initiate water testing. Wasteful perhaps, but the idea is eventually (sooner rather than later hopefully) to have the local authorities being competent and proactive to manage water quality at a local level, which will be better than having a national agency doing it (if it's ever done properly).
Interestingly, chemical testing is to be replaced with biological testing - seeing what species are living in the water and what the ecology is, to determine the water quality. This will mean that testers will have to be trained in biology rather than simple test tube chemistry (no offence intended) and this I hope will be a very positive step in how our local authorities manage environmental issues - for too long the preserve of civil engineers working for councils.
Incidentally, my own interest in the issue is an environmental one.

[DaveM]

The fundamental problem is the involvement of the local authorities in the delivery of water services in the first place. They are serial incompetents in the same way they were in delivering national roads projects before that responsibility was shifted to the NRA. We should have a national authority or commercial semi-state with overall responsibility for the delivery of water services.

[lostexpectation]

Andrew Kimbrell: The Obama Organic Family Garden: Swimming in Sludge?

haha the clintons allowed the whitehouse lawn to spread with sewage sludge as pr gimmick and now the garden is poisoned with lead, whoops

[Frankie Lee]

The fundamental problem is the involvement of the local authorities in the delivery of water services in the first place. They are serial incompetents in the same way they were in delivering national roads projects before that responsibility was shifted to the NRA. We should have a national authority or commercial semi-state with overall responsibility for the delivery of water services.

Excellent idea, the same should have been done with waste disposal before the privatisation occurred.