Protecting the environmental resources we already have, including our water resources, will be a priority for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the coming years, according to Director General of the EPA, Laura Burke.

She was speaking at the ninth annual Environment Ireland conference, organised in association with the EPA and the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government which took place in Croke Park.

"With the likelihood of a global water shortfall of 40% by 2030, Ireland's valuable and abundant water resources are predicted to become of increasing strategic importance to the Irish economy. Clean water and a well-managed environment underpin key economic sectors, such as tourism and the agri-food industry, both of which thrive on the clean green image of Ireland."

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Preventing future environmental damage from the closure of activities and driving the remediation of existing contaminated sites will also be a major focus for the EPA, Ms Burke said: "There have been a number of high-profile cases in Ireland where the State has had to intervene to manage abandoned facilities such as mines, with significant environmental liabilities, and costing tens of millions of euro.

"There are other cases where licensed facilities have ceased or gone into liquidation or receivership. The current economic climate has increased the risk of such occurrences. The EPA has recently published guidance on assessing and costing such environmental liabilities. Proper environmental liability management makes both good environmental and good business sense, minimising environmental impacts and representing forward financial planning for businesses."

(CD/JP)