As part of the project, the investigative team took a deep dive into the regulation of the peat industry, analysing various court records, enforcement documents from local authorities, State agency inspection reports, and satellite and photographic evidence of extraction. The team also sent close to 50 Freedom of Information requests to local and national authorities to chart enforcement actions against peat companies over the past decade.
The investigation also details the legal battle between one prominent peat extraction company and the Environmental Protection Agency that concluded in a decision by the Irish High Court in May that the company was operating outside of the regulatory system and in breach of EU law.
