|
Mr. Michael Kitt TD, Minister of State at the Department
of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has addressed
the EU Common Forum on Contaminated Land at its meeting in
Dublin Castle on 26 March.
In addressing the Forum,
the Minister referred to the shared common goal to protect
and build a sustainable future - but also to examine the state
of the environment currently.
While stating that Ireland’s level of contaminated land sites
was at a lower level compared to other Member States, the
Minister stated that a framework for dealing with such sites
was important.
Minister Kitt commented on the need to deal with our environmental
problems of the past and to use creative thinking to resolve
them. “Co-operation and sharing of both knowledge and experience
is a key aspect of this” - the Minister went on to say.
The Minister concluded by referring to the Environmental
Liability Regulations which will come into effect on 1 April
next, which will give real form and substance to the 'polluter
pays' principle. The Minister expressed the hope that
these regulations will result in a higher degree of environmental
protection and minimise the need for enforcement in the future.
|
