North Cork Creameries has been suspended from discharging wastewater by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the second time in three months.
It comes as Carbery confirmed to the Irish Farmers Journal that it will be processing milk from North Cork for the foreseeable future.
In November, the EPA issued a notice to the Cork co-op to suspend discharges from its outfall point and set out a standard for the processor to achieve in order for this notice to be lifted.
On 4 January, North Cork Creameries submitted information to show that it had maintained compliance for a set period and the EPA lifted the suspension on 7 January 2026.
“Over the six weeks since the notice was lifted, [North Cork Creameries] have failed to maintain adequate control of the plant leading to ongoing non-compliances with emission limit values,” an EPA spokesperson told the Irish Farmers Journal.
Therefore, the EPA has determined that the licensee has not demonstrated the capacity to reliably maintain steady state compliance with licence requirements in relation to effluent at its outfall point, it said.
'Persistent nature’
The EPA said that in the circumstances and given the persistent nature of the performance issues with the wastewater treatment plant, it “considers that there is, once more, an ongoing and elevated risk of discharges that do not comply” with certain conditions and emissions limit values set out in its wastewater licence.
There is, once more, an ongoing and elevated risk of discharges that do not comply
“These discharges threaten to cause an immediate adverse effect on the environment, in particular the ecological and chemical water quality of the River Allow,” it added.
As a result, the EPA issued a notice to the licensee on Thursday 19 February 2026, once again suspending the discharge from its outfall pipe.
“The discharge will not be permitted to resume until the EPA receives demonstration and confirmation that the licensee can reliably maintain steady state compliance on an ongoing basis,” the EPA said.
Read more
Carbery to process milk on behalf of North Cork Creameries
EPA notice halts production at North Cork Creameries
North Cork Creameries has been suspended from discharging wastewater by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the second time in three months.
It comes as Carbery confirmed to the Irish Farmers Journal that it will be processing milk from North Cork for the foreseeable future.
In November, the EPA issued a notice to the Cork co-op to suspend discharges from its outfall point and set out a standard for the processor to achieve in order for this notice to be lifted.
On 4 January, North Cork Creameries submitted information to show that it had maintained compliance for a set period and the EPA lifted the suspension on 7 January 2026.
“Over the six weeks since the notice was lifted, [North Cork Creameries] have failed to maintain adequate control of the plant leading to ongoing non-compliances with emission limit values,” an EPA spokesperson told the Irish Farmers Journal.
Therefore, the EPA has determined that the licensee has not demonstrated the capacity to reliably maintain steady state compliance with licence requirements in relation to effluent at its outfall point, it said.
'Persistent nature’
The EPA said that in the circumstances and given the persistent nature of the performance issues with the wastewater treatment plant, it “considers that there is, once more, an ongoing and elevated risk of discharges that do not comply” with certain conditions and emissions limit values set out in its wastewater licence.
There is, once more, an ongoing and elevated risk of discharges that do not comply
“These discharges threaten to cause an immediate adverse effect on the environment, in particular the ecological and chemical water quality of the River Allow,” it added.
As a result, the EPA issued a notice to the licensee on Thursday 19 February 2026, once again suspending the discharge from its outfall pipe.
“The discharge will not be permitted to resume until the EPA receives demonstration and confirmation that the licensee can reliably maintain steady state compliance on an ongoing basis,” the EPA said.
Read more
Carbery to process milk on behalf of North Cork Creameries
EPA notice halts production at North Cork Creameries
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