Does Kildare County Council remove abandoned vehicles?
No. New Regulations, the End of Life Vehicles Regualtions have now come into effect.The ELV Regulations are designed to implement the EU Directive on end-of-life vehicles in Ireland and have been operative since January 2007. In other words, where the owner of a car or van deems the vehicle to be beyond use. The vehicle can be brought to a designated Authorised Treatment Facility. Every local authority must contain at least one ATF. In Kildare, there are currently three Authorised Treatment Facilities (ATFs). These are the only locations in Kildare that cars may be dismantled. They are:
All Spares (Kildare) Ltd., Ballysax, The Curragh, Co. Kildare. Tel: (045) 456702, (045) 441453
Kellys N4 Recovery, Killbrook, Enfield, Co. Kildare, Tel.: 046 9541293, Fax: 046 9541474, mob: 087 2423384/087 6718412, Email: n4recovery@hotmail.com
Kilcock Car Dismantlers, Laragh, Kilcock, Co. Kildare, Tel.: 01 6289160 or 6285671 Fax: 01 6270797 Email: kilcockcarrecycling@gmail.com Web: www.kilcockcardismantlers.com
The vehicles are de-polluted here, all fluids removed as well as the catalytic converter. As much of the vehicle as possible is then recycled. Higgins will advise on certifiction. These regulations only apply to cars and small vans. Enquire with licenced Authorised Treatment Facilities for other vehicle types.
Does the Council issue litter fines?
Yes. The Council is responsible for implementing the Litter Pollution Acts 1997-2003. The on-the-spot fine is €150. If a vehicle is used when a litter offence is committed, the registered owner is deemed liable for the fine. It is Council policy to refer all unpaid fines for legal action. The Council can take a direct prosecution to court in this case, or if the littering is more serious. The maximum fine that can be imposed by the court is €3000. Persons reporting littering incidents should be willing to appear as witnesses for the Council in the event that the case goes to court, as the Council will not take a prosecution if there is no witness. You can report littering offences to our freephone litter hotline 1800 243 143
How do I dispose of asbestos?
In short, you shouldn't!. Asbestos needs to be dealt with very carefully, so should contact a licenced waste contractor (ensuring they are licenced specifically to deal with asbestos) before commencing any works involving breaking up or moving it. They will advise on the best methods for safe disposal. Because of the toxic nature of it, the council cannot accept asbestos at our Civic Amenity centres.
Where are my nearest glass and can recycling banks?
A map of all the recycling facilities in Kildare is available at www.mywaste.ie
Is it illegal to burn waste?
Under the Waste Management Act 1996, it is an offence to dispose of waste by burning. If burning is causing a nuisance, contact the Environment section of the Council at 045 980588
Where are the cemeteries in Kildare?
There are over 100 cemeteries in the charge of the Council. Cemeteries at 30 locations are used regularly, and all of these cemeteries have caretakers/registrars appointed by the Council. The caretakers/registrars issue receipts for the purchase of grave plots and interment fees and maintain a register of all graves/interments. They also deal with monumental sculptors in relation to headstones and carry out some basic maintenance duties. Newbridge and Leixlip caretakers are fulltime; the rest receive an annual payment for their services. A single grave plot costs €1,100, a double plot is €2,160, and the interment fee is €123. Plots can only be purchased as the need arises. Many of the older cemeteries have nominal caretakers called "key-holders". They receive a small payment to look after the cemetery and report any works required. No burial plots are sold in these cemeteries, and only a small number of them have burials in existing family plots in any case. If you wish to contact a caretaker, please contact the Environment section at 045 980588 THe listof cemeteries and caretaker contact details can be found HERE
Does the Council assist community cleanups?
Yes. The Council will assist community cleanups by removing (by prior agreement) waste/litter collected. The scheme is not intended for persons cleaning out houses, backyards, etc. The Council does not provide skips for cleanups.
Materials should be separated as much as possible to increase the amoiun fort of materials that can be recycled. Materials such as grass clippings, other green waste, clay, stones, rocks, concrete blocks, builders’ rubble etc cannot be collected.
The application form for this scheme ican be found HERE.
National Spring Clean takes place every for the month of April. It is organised nationally by An Taisce www.nationalspringclean.org and is supported by the Council. The council can provide bags and a limited supply of litter pickers to community groups for this event and throughout the year. Download the form and where you can collect them HERE
Does the Council conduct farm surveys to monitor and eliminate pollution from farm waste into streams and rivers?
Yes- technical staff are engaged in ongoing site inspections which are part of the Eastern and the South Eastern River Basin District catchment-based monitoring programmes. The aim of these projects is to develop measures to monitor and achieve good water standards in the relevant areas. Farmers may receive requests for farm waste management plans if required.
Who is responsible for Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Licence
These licences are issued by the Environmental Protection Agency, and cover large facilities such as Wyeth, Intel and Hewlett Packard. Complaints and queries should be directed to the E.P.A. at 053 60600. Licences can be inspected at the EPA website www.epa.ie
Does the Council support the national Green-Schools programme?
Yes. This programme, which is administered by An Taisce nationally, aims to promote whole school activity to promote environmental awareness in the school and the wider community. The council's Environmental Awareness Officer works with the schools to achieve these goals and is available to talk to the schools.
When is it illegal to cut hedges?
It is illegal to cut hedges between March 1st and August 31st unless it is for road safety reasons. See the "hedgerows and the environment" section of the website for more information on the proper care of hedgerows.
What does the Council do about illegal dumping?
The Council is very active in removing illegal dumping, but we rely on the public's cooperation in order to achieve this. The Council will investigate all reported incidents of dumping and will organise the removal of illegally dumped materials. You can report illegal dumping to environ@kildarecoco.ie .
Removal of litter and illegally dumped waste uses a lot of resources, so the council really appreciates the support of the public in both alerting us to illegal dumping and also when undertaking community cleanups of same.
Does the Council support National Spring Clean?
The Council supports this national initiative through the provision of bags, gloves and litter-pickers . The Council will also undertake subsequent waste removal for organised clean up events. Groups should register first with An Taisce at www.antaisce.org, tel.: 01 4002220 fax: 01 454 1802, email:nsc@antaisce.org. You will receive a special pack to assist in the cleanup. It is held during the month of April.
Does the Council support National Tree Week?
Yes. This scheme aims to promote tree-planting in Ireland. It is advertised in the local press during February and the week takes place in the first week in March. The Council runs a number of activities to promote awareness of the beauty and value of trees. These will be publicised nearer the event. For more information on this scheme, see www.treecouncil.ie.
Who needs a waste collection permit?
Anybody collecting waste in Kildare (regardless of where it is disposed) needs a waste collection permit. If you are having waste removed from your home or business, you must ensure that the collector has an up to date permit. The legislation is the Waste Management Act (Collection Permit) Regulations 2001. These should not be confused with waste facility permits. Waste facility permits are required for the location where the waste is to be disposed of. Since November 2001, any person or company that collects waste anywhere in County Kildare must hold a waste collection permit. These are administered nationally by Offaly County Council. You can inspect these permits at www.nwcpo.ie.
Does the Council have a waste management plan?
Yes. The current plan was adopted by the Council in 2015. Kildare has become part of the Eastern and Midlands Waste Management region, and as such we have a shared Waste Management Plan. It can be accessed here
What can I do about noise pollution?
Section 25 of the Control of Dogs Act 1986 deals with the issue of nuisance due to barking dogs. Under Section 25 of this act a decision as to whether any case of dog barking constitutes a nuisance is an issue for the District Court to adjudicate on.
An individual wishing to make a complaint to the district court regarding barking dogs can download the relevant form.
The Council is involved in some pollution cases, but not all. In relation to complaints regarding excessive noise from commercial or industrial premises, the procedure for the complainant is to contact the Council and it will be treated as pollution incident. In certain cases, planning conditions regarding noise levels may be in place, There is a standard “warning letter” for use as appropriate. The Council does not get involved in cases where a person complains about noise from a neighbour’s house, as these are essentially domestic disputes. In these cases you should look at the“Guide to the Noise Regulations” elsewhere in the environment section. This leaflet explains how to make a complaint about such noise in the local District Court. More information can be found HERE
Where are the smokeless zones in Kildare?
Naas, Newbridge, Celbridge and Leixlip are included in the areas in which it is illegal to sell “smoky” fuel. It is illegal to buy such fuel elsewhere and to burn it in any of these towns. The Health Services Executive checks the various local fuel suppliers on behalf of the Council to ensure the ban is complied with.
Does the Council monitor air pollution?
The Environmental Protection Agency monitor air pollution nationally.