Environmental
At MKO, our Environmental Team has assessed and helped secure consent for infrastructure, industrial and commercial projects of every scale across Ireland. We have successfully completed Environmental Impact Assessments in most Irish counties. Working alongside our planning, ecology, and ornithology teams or with external partners, we are acutely aware of the environmental, planning and ecological interdependencies that arise from the crossover between planning, EIA and Habitats legislation. We lead and manage project teams and work with a panel of trusted and recognised experts when another view or opinion is needed to give any project the best chance of a successful outcome.
Environmental Impact Assessment Reports (EIAR)
We prepare robust EIAR reports taking account of the latest requirements of the EU EIA Directive and national guidance. Our reports are written to stay ahead of emerging best-practice and ensure projects withstand legal challenges. They are also written to be practical and aware of the need to implement design and mitigation measures during a project’s construction/operation phase. We project manage clients, design teams and specialist inputs and meet our client’s deadlines. Our EIA experience spans every industry sector. Projects and clients benefit from the combined expertise of our people, who have refined our EIA knowledge and practices over decades of work in this field.
Environmental Clerk of Works (ECoW)
As the Environmental Clerk of Works (ECoW) on construction projects, we provide an on-site presence to assist contractors and developers in getting their job done while ensuring that all required measures are implemented to meet any planning or regulatory requirements. Our presence can be full-time or more occasional, as needed for the scale of the project, site sensitivity or client’s requirements. Our ECoW experts have the necessary experience to translate written mitigation and design measures into practical, on-the-ground solutions to ensure the implemented measures are fit for purpose. We can take responsibility for on-site environmental monitoring (water, noise, dust, air) and all auditing and reporting duties.
Site selection and identification
Using a rigorous and systematic process, we identify and select the optimum sites for projects. We use GIS mapping to identify key planning and environmental constraints and opportunity areas outside the constraints that can accommodate a development project. It can be difficult enough to secure project consent without starting with the wrong site. We help select the optimum site for development, which gives the project the best possible chance of success. The consideration of alternatives (including alternative sites) is a key requirement for EIA projects. We help applicants demonstrate they have selected the best site for their chosen project in an area, county or region.
Construction Environmental Management Plans (CEMPs)
Our Construction Environmental Management Plans (CEMPs) document how a proposed development can be delivered through a construction phase while adhering to relevant environmental best-practice. Whether prepared at a pre-planning or pre-commencement stage, our plans act as a reference guide for construction personnel or regulators and demonstrate how the prescriptions of an EIS/EIAR or environmental guidelines can be delivered on-site. We regularly engage with contractors to develop and strengthen their method statements or incorporate them into our CEMPs. Our advice is informed by Irish, UK and international best practices to deal with the most complex of situations but is framed by the combined experience of staff and their knowledge of what does and doesn’t work.
Waste licensing, permitting and registrations
We advise on, prepare, submit and monitor applications for all types of licenses and permits the waste industry requires. These include EPA licenses or Local Authority waste facility permits, Certificates of Registration (CoRs) or waste collection permits. We help prospective applicants determine which regulatory regime is relevant to their activity and advise on all aspects of that regulation. Alongside our waste licence/permit advice, our planning expertise allows us to offer a parallel opinion on the often-related need for planning permission. To help keep facilities compliant, we prepare quarterly or Annual Environmental Reports (AERs) on behalf of clients. We remain available to them to deal with any related matters as they arise.
EPA licensing and compliance
We represent and act for clients in all interactions with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This extends to all forms of licensing the Agency is responsible for, including waste licensing, Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) licenses and IPPC (Integrated Pollution Prevention Control) licenses. We prepare licence applications and engage with the Agency, including the preparation of CRAMPs (Closure, Restoration and Aftercare Management Plans). We also advise operators in the peat extraction industry who will fall within the Peat Extraction Licensing regime introduced by the Agency.
Environmental monitoring and reporting
Our environmental monitoring capabilities span groundwater, surface water (inland and marine), noise and dust. We undertake monitoring during the construction phase of projects or to fulfil ongoing environmental compliance requirements for licensed or regulated facilities. During the construction stage of projects, we undertake monitoring on behalf of construction contractors or on behalf of project developers/applicants to monitor a contractor’s compliance with environmental or contractual performance criteria. We also own and operate a large array of automatic water quality monitoring devices (SONDES), which provide our clients with access to valuable real-time and long-term water quality data relating to their site or project.
Other services
Waste Management Plans (Construction / Operational)
Our waste management plans can be prepared for the construction or operational phase of projects, to identify the types and volumes of waste arisings, opportunities for reuse and recycling, or where necessary, recovery or disposal. Construction phase plans can also include demolition waste arisings were relevant and are often incorporated into our Environmental Management Plans.
Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA)
We prepare SEAs for plans and programmes to comply with the requirements of the SEA Directive and Irish legislation and assist Authorities, Agencies and Regulatory Bodies fulfill their obligations. Clients in this area benefit from our experience of assisting delivering projects through planning and licensing processes, and our knowledge of taking policies and objectives through to the delivery and implementation stage of actual projects.