Implementing “The Pollution Prevention and Control Regime In Oldham”
Local Authorities deliver “Local Air Pollution Control” for Medium Polluting Processes through the Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) Regime by issuing “Permits” to allow specific processes to operate – many conditions controlling impacts upon local air quality are attached to them. From the early 1990s until 2006, this was achieved by the use of “Authorisations”. Although this work complements other environmental regulatory work conducted by Local Authorities, the use of PPC aims to:
Bearing in mind other burdens placed upon industry, partnership working is used by Local Authorities to achieve compliance. An informal approach is always the first step used to build relationships with all process operators and stakeholders, hopefully avoiding, at a later stage, the need to use any formal powers against process operators in compliance with Local Authority Enforcement Policies.
As mentioned already, from the early 1990’s, Local Authorities used “Authorisations” for Medium Polluting Processes which implemented health protection standards where processes clearly could make a harmful impact upon local Air Quality. Powers and responsibilities contained within Part One of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 were used. Now, “Permits” are issued under the Pollution Prevention Control Act 1999 which have a more comprehensive effect.
Similar regulation was, and still is, conducted by the Environment Agency who involve themselves with larger manufacturing/production plants. The Agency originally dealt with the premises they are responsible for through the “Integrated Pollution Control” Regime which regulated discharges with the potential to impact adversely to air, land and water.
The regime now delivered in parallel by Local authorities and the Agency was structured after a review of the two previous regimes around five years ago and, now, both regulators work using the same PPC Regime which originated in Europe. The changeover in regulation did not occur as one event but was completed by the end of 2006.
Both previous regimes were complementary where after revision the unified P.P.C. regime still remains so; Local Authorities still dealing with Medium Polluting Processes. Revision has ensured that both the Environment Agency and Local Authorities as regulators can now deal with discharges to land, water and air. The categories of premises regulated now fall into three distinct groups with Group A1 regulated by the Environment Agency and Groups A2 and B regulated by Local Authorities.
There is an extensive list of permitted processes regulated by Oldham Council. Currently, these are restricted to Group B and include:
This work complements other Clean Air and Waste legislation and originated within:
The use of “Permits” introduces, as before with “Authorisations”, the concept of “BATNEEC”. This is the obligation upon a process operator to use the “Best Available Technique Not Entailing Excessive Cost” to control environmental discharges which could impact adversely upon the local environment.
Also, all “Permits” and correspondence are available on a public register where from the early 1990’s onwards there has developed a more structured and open policy in public service on environmental issues managed by all regulators.
The use of the P.P.C. Regime is intended to achieve consistency and transparency where, in Oldham, early consultation with process operators and stakeholders who might be affected always occurs.
The new regime now affects a wider range of industrial and agricultural activities where there is a change in emphasis to prevent pollution and only where this is not practicable to adequately reduce emissions to air, water and land from potentially polluting industrial and other installations, “so as to achieve a high level of protection of the environment taken as a whole.”
Conditions controlling the circumstances now take into account:
This last point overlaps comprehensively with Local Authority’s contaminated land duties under Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act.
To allow the Council to introduce newer developing controls as they gradually affect proprietors of different businesses, officers have recently consulted operators of specific processes including:
Local Authorities also have duties to ensure compliance with the Solvent Emission Directive which affects some of the Permitted processes. The purpose of this Directive is to reduce the amount of solvents of volatile organic compounds that are released into the atmosphere. The compounds have the potential to cause cancer, genetic damage and harm unborn children. A long list of processes that have to be controlled is prescribed.
The work complements the P.P.C Regime and Local Authorities' ongoing Environmental Protection work relating to Air Quality.
Although very detailed, the main requirements of the Directive are to meet one of three options which are:
The Solvent Emissions Directive affects all those processes covered by the existing Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations of 2000 and some activities currently outside the regulations.
For further information, contact:
Pollution Control
Environmental Services Directorate
Chadderton Town Hall
Middleton Road
Chadderton
Oldham OL9 6PP
Telephone: 0161 770 3447/4502
Fax: 0161 770 3444
E-mail: environmentalhealth@oldham.gov.uk