Report No.347 Assessment of the Impact of Ammonia Emissions from Intensive Agriculture Installations on Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas Authors: David B. Kelleghan, Enda T. Hayes, Mark Everard and Thomas P. Curran www.epa.ie ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Monitoring, Analysing and Reporting on the The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for Environment protecting and improving the environment as a valuable asset • Monitoring air quality and implementing the EU Clean Air for for the people of Ireland. We are committed to protecting people Europe (CAFÉ) Directive. and the environment from the harmful effects of radiation and • Independent reporting to inform decision making by national pollution. and local government (e.g. periodic reporting on the State of Ireland’s Environment and Indicator Reports). 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EPA RESEARCH PROGRAMME 2014–2020 Assessment of the Impact of Ammonia Emissions from Intensive Agriculture Installations on Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas (2013-EH-MS-14) EPA Research Report Prepared for the Environmental Protection Agency by University College Dublin and the University of the West of England Authors: David B. Kelleghan, Enda T. Hayes, Mark Everard and Thomas P. Curran ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY An Ghníomhaireacht um Chaomhnú Comhshaoil PO Box 3000, Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford, Ireland Telephone: +353 53 916 0600 Fax: +353 53 916 0699 Email: [email protected] Website: www.epa.ie © Environmental Protection Agency 2020 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report is published as part of the EPA Research Programme 2014–2020. The EPA Research Programme is a Government of Ireland initiative funded by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. It is administered by the Environmental Protection Agency, which has the statutory function of co-ordinating and promoting environmental research. This research was undertaken as part of the AmmoniaN2K Project funded by the Irish Environmental Protection Agency through their STRIVE Programme. The authors would like to acknowledge the support of the AmmoniaN2K project steering committee, namely John McEntagart, Pat Byrne, Mary Sheehan, Brian Donlon and Niamh O’Donoghue (Environmental Protection Agency), Karen Roche (Project manager on behalf of EPA Research); David Dodd (Climate Action Regional Office); Marc Kierans (Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications); Andy Bleasdale and Barry O’Donoghue (The Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht); Clare Whitfield and Sue Zappala (Joint Nature Conservation Committee);Julian Aherne (Trent University) and Thomas Cummins (University College Dublin). We particularly wish to thank all National Parks and Wildlife Service staff who operated our ammonia monitoring network on Natura 2000 sites, namely Andrea Webb, Cyril Saich, David McDonagh, Dominic Berridge, Jack McGauley, Jimi Conroy, Miriam Crowley, Sean Breen, Sue Moles and Tríona Finnen. In addition, we wish to thank Kevin Dolan for operating our ammonia monitoring station in Northern Ireland. The UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology provided valuable training, advice and data to the project. We wish to thank them for contributing to this research, in particular Sim Tang, Uli Dragosits, Tony Dore and Mark Sutton. We would also like to acknowledge Pauline Campbell of the Centre for Environmental Data and Recording for the provision of data. The team is also grateful to the Central Statistics Office for providing data for this project. A number of taught Masters students and interns have helped in a number of ways, including Padraig Keating, Damien Lambert, Lilliana Osorio Arce, Michelle Savian, Hugh McMahon, Aneesh Kale, Charles De Wulf, Adelaida Chicampo and Paula Núñez Tafalla. The authors also wish to thank the University College Dublin School of Biosystems and Food Engineering laboratory technician Anna Lesniak-Podsiadlo, who assisted with laboratory analysis. The AmmoniaN2K team owe a deep gratitude to the pig and poultry producers who facilitated the monitoring of their farms as part of this research; this project would not have been possible without their cooperation. DISCLAIMER Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the material contained in this publication, complete accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The Environmental Protection Agency, the authors and the steering committee members do not accept any responsibility whatsoever for loss or damage occasioned, or claimed to have been occasioned, in part or in full, as a consequence of any person acting, or refraining from acting, as a result of a matter contained in this publication. All or part of this publication may be reproduced without further permission, provided the source is acknowledged. This report is based on research carried out/data from 2014 to 2018. More recent data may have become available since the research was completed. The EPA Research Programme addresses the need for research in Ireland to inform policymakers and other stakeholders on a range of questions in relation to environmental protection. These reports are intended as contributions