Public Workshop on Monaghan’s new Climate Action Plan

Monaghan PPN and Monaghan County Council are looking for your input into our Local Authority Climate Action Plan. Our Community needs to help us shape appropriate actions to facilitate and enable effective climate action at a local and community level – and that’s where you come in!

Lake

We plan to hold a workshop so you can all have your say and make sure your opinion is heard.  We want you to share actions that can be included in the Plan and which we as a county can work on together.

When:            Tuesday 20th June 6:30pm – 9pm

Where:            Hillgrove Hotel, Monaghan (Rembrandt Suite)

Tea and coffee on arrival.

If you are unable to attend the workshop but wish to make a submission, please see below for details

Submissions

Help us shape appropriate actions to facilitate and enable effective climate action at a local and community level. Submissions can be made before 12 noon on 14th July 2023 by email to climateaction@monaghancoco.ie

or by post to Climate Action Section, Environment Department, Monaghan County Council, MTek 1 Building, Knockaconny, Monaghan.

How to write a helpful Submission. Please write submissions that:

  • Are short and to the point.
  • Are focused on one or more of the key climate themes of interest to you.
  • Include your name and address. (Your contact details will not be published)

The content of your submission may be published as part of the plan-making process. At all times Monaghan County Council will comply with GDPR Guidelines

Find out more information: For more information please visit: https://monaghan.ie/environment/climate-action/

ERP Electrical Recycling Drop Off Day: Monaghan Town Centre, Lidl Car Park

Want to support the environment and de-clutter your home by recycling your electrical waste? Then check out the ERP FREE Electrical Recycling Drop Off Day at:

Monaghan Town Centre, Lidl Car Park on Saturday 20th May 2023, 10am to 4pm

You can drop off any household item with a plug or a battery such as TVs, washing machines, IT equipment, stereos, mobile phones, broken battery-operated toys, cables, chargers and even wireless ear buds! And don’t forget to support Batteries for Barretstown and bring your used batteries for recycling!

NEW SOLID FUEL REGULATIONS PAVING THE WAY FOR IMPROVED AIR QUALITY & HEALTH FOR ALL

The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan TD, signed the New Solid Fuel Regulations into Irish Law and they came into effect on the 31st of October 2022.  The Air Pollution Act 1987 (Solid Fuel) Regulations 2022 aims to build upon previous efforts to improve Air Quality across Ireland and to reduce premature deaths and illnesses arising from air pollution. The new regulations are being introduced across a range of fuel types to ensure that the most polluting solid fuels will no longer be available for sale on the Irish market.

 

The primary focus of the draft regulations is on the large-scale, commercial sale of smoky fuels, including smoky coal, turf, and wet wood. These fuels are proven to be a major contributor to air pollution in Ireland.

Very low smoke emissions rates will be set for coal, coal-based products and manufactured solid fuel or peat briquettes, effectively prohibiting the use of bituminous coal i.e., smoky coal in the future. Smoky coal refers to coal that is branded Polish, Columbian, House coal etc. The New Regulations also introduce restrictions on the sale of wet wood and turf.  Burning of solid fuels, is a significant contributor to poor local air quality by increasing the amount of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) and other pollutants in our homes and communities.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimate that each year there are 1,300 premature deaths in Ireland due to air pollution. The burning of bituminous coal and other smoky solid fuels releases particulate matter into the atmosphere. The most harmful of these, PM2.5particles, have been proven to have a significant detrimental effect on human health.

Medical research has shown links between the burning of bituminous coal in private houses and increased health risks including heart attack, stroke, cancer, brain tumors, asthma, bronchitis, bronchiolitis, and many other cardiac and respiratory conditions, as well as premature mortality. The elderly, the very young and other vulnerable groups, such as people with respiratory conditions, are particularly at risk.

Alternative, low-smoke fuels/ Smokeless Coals are cleaner, more cost-efficient and reduce exposure to harmful pollutants.

Householders should be aware that burning any type of waste in a domestic fire is illegal and leads to the release of toxic substances into the air in your home and the surrounding environment. Treated timber, which contains glues, resins, and paints, should also never be burned in a domestic fire for the same reasons.

Under the regulations the following new health standards for solid fuels will apply from 31st October this year.

  • Coal products and manufactured solid fuels must have a smoke emission rate of less than 10g/hour.
  • Manufactured part biomass products must have a smoke emission rate of less than 5g/hr.
  • Coal products and manufactured solid fuels, including manufactured part biomass products, must have a sulfur content of less than 2% by weight on a dry ash-free basis.
  • Fuel products which are 100% biomass products including wood products and wood logs, supplied in units under 2m³, must have a moisture content less than 25%.
  • Wet wood sold over these volumes will be required to come with instructions for the purchaser on how to appropriately dry the wood i.e., the need to store and season wet wood until it is sufficiently dried.
  • It will not be possible to sell turf via retail, online or other online or media outlets, in public houses or other public places. Persons with turbary rights may continue to cut turf for their own use and retain the ability to gift turf, therefore if you currently source turf from family, friends, neighbor’s, outside of the channels previously mentioned this can continue.

Monaghan County Council shall be responsible for enforcing these regulations in its functional area and are running an Environmental Awareness Campaign in December.

Compliance Inspections shall be carried out by Monaghan County Council’s Enforcement Officers, particularly in respect of retailers, coal merchants and coal delivery trucks. This will include Vehicle Checkpoints with An Garda Siochana throughout the county to ensure only Approved Solid Fuels are being sold within the county.

Further information on The New Solid Fuel Regulations can be found on Monaghan County Councils Website https://monaghan.ie/environment/solid-fuels-regulations-tab/,

 

What the new regulations mean to Householders: FAQ for Householders , Retailers: FAQ for Retailers , Producers/Importers: FAQ for Producers or Importers ,Couriers/Haulage Companies: FAQ for Couriers and Haulage Companies can be found on the Government website, Clean Air.ie or by the following the links displayed above from Monaghan County Councils Website.

County Monaghan’s Live Air Quality Data, can also be viewed on Monaghan County Council’s Website – Air Quality Section. (https://monaghan.ie/environment/air-quality-data/),

 

Monaghan County Council celebrates Earth Day 2022

Together with the local government sector,  Monaghan County Council is committed to taking a lead in #ClimateAction.

Today (22nd April 2022) is Earth Day, together, for everyone, everything, every day… #InvestInOurPlanet

Local authorities are uniquely placed to mobilise #ClimateAction in communities and that’s a key goal of our strategy to tackle climate change.

Watch this short video for further information on #EarthDay

 

 

 

 

Individual Connaught Ulster Upcycle Challenge Winner of 2021

Beatrice the Caravan, a revamped c1973 Sprite caravan up-cycled by Bernie McMahon, was the Individual Connaught Ulster Upcycle Challenge Winner of 2021, organised by My Waste.

Individual Connaught Ulster Upcycle Challenge Winner of 2021 Beatrice the Caravan Beatrice the Caravan

Another finalist from South Monaghan was Ryan Mulligan for his ‘Reworked Bucket Hats made from Old Football Shirts, who also successfully reached the final.  Both finalists were chosen out of over two hundred and sixty entries.

Ryan Mulligan Ryan Mulligan Ryan Mulligan

 For this competition, people from all over Ireland were challenged to find something that is no longer in use and transform it into something new. The applications were then judged by RTE’s Róisín Murphy, Enda O’Dowd product design lecturer at the National College of Art and Design and Declan Breen Regional Waste Prevention Officer at Eastern-Midlands Waste Management Region.

Environmental Services Funding Scheme 2022

Monaghan County Council is committed to supporting local communities to promote, enhance and develop their local area. This commitment is supported by the annual Environmental Funding Scheme.

We are now inviting applications for the 2022 funding scheme.

Please note this funding is only for Environmental related projects.

 

Guidelines on criteria and application forms for the Environmental Services Funding Scheme 2022 may be obtained:

 

Environment Fund Application Form 2022 (MS Word)

Environment Grant Scheme Guidelines 2022 (MS Word)

Supplier Set Up 2022 (MS Word)

 

CLOSING DATE FOR RECEIPT OF APPLICATIONS IS FRIDAY 4th MARCH 2022

LATE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

The Big Travel Challenge 2022

The Green-Schools Travel team is inviting schools to take part in the big TRAVEL CHALLENGE 2022. This year the Travel competition is celebrating seven years of successfully encouraging more students to enjoy the benefits of actively travelling to school in the month of February.

Walking, cycling, wheeling or scooting to school can be an opportunity to increase physical activity in the darker winter months, when time spent outdoors is often reduced. The aim of the challenge is to promote a sustainable mode of transport of your choice for 10 days during the month of February.

For more information please visit: greenschoolsireland.org/the-big-travel-challenge-2022