EP Environmetal Permits

Question 1

EP

Answer 1

legal control of environment impacts, chemical industry

Question 2

Industrial problems

Answer 2

large waste, pollution emissions

Question 3

Regulations (Historical)

Answer 3

Fragmented to different secots (water, land, air) - flawed - problem displacement - conflicts of interest

Question 4

National Rivers Authority NRA 1989

Answer 4

Seperate regulators from polluters

Question 5

Evolution

Answer 5

Unified pollution control - Environmental Protection Act, IPC, APC. National Regulators - Environmental Agency, Local Authorities for APC, SEPA

Question 6

Current Regulations

Answer 6

Harmonise EU approach. IPPC - point-source pollution control (emissions), Diffuse control, WFD, NVZ. EA and SEPA - Environmental Permits. LA - Air quality control

Question 7

Regulating Processess

Answer 7

Inorganic, organic, pharmaceutical, oil and gas, fertilise, food manufacture. Dependant on : scale and emissions (to air, water, land)

Question 8

Example of emissions

Answer 8

NOx, SOx, halo substances, persistent pollutants, toxic metals

Question 9

Exempt

Answer 9

“harmless” or “trivial” proven to EA

Question 10

Principles

Answer 10

Best Available Technology (BAT), Not excessive cost (BATNEEC), Polluter pays

Question 11

Step 1. Permit application to pollute

Answer 11

Operator applies, fee assesed and paid, each site assesed, permits individual

Question 12

Step 2. Assessment site report

Answer 12

ASR, operator supplies own assesment -> subtances used, emissions, impacts, improvement suggestion

Question 13

Sour-Pathway-Receptor

Answer 13

Environment impact assesment (EIA). Pollutant origin identified (pipe, storage), modelled migration routes (surface water), sensitive receptors (dispersion, reactions)

Question 14

Receptor

Answer 14

local population, sensitive protected habitats (SSI), surface/groundwater supplies, affected food supply

Question 15

Exclusion

Answer 15

general farmland, unprotected habitat, no evidence of damaging impact

Question 16

Step 3. Decision document

Answer 16

application review, interests from other parties. Primary Care Trusts (human health impacts), Natural England, Local Authorities (complaints, noise, odour), Local business, water supply companies

Question 17

EA visits site to confirm ASR accuracy

Answer 17

DD (decision document) - environment management, raw materails: iventory, efficiency, process: least polluting, energy use & efficiency

Question 18

Step 4. Draft Permit

Answer 18

Reviewed by operator

Question 19

Step 5. Permit issued

Answer 19

Lodged locally or online, legal compliance. Step 6. Monitoring and reporting. Step 7: Variation (changes to original for improvement)

Question 20

What the Permit contains

Answer 20

legal binded emission limits, monitoring requirements, how and when to report to EA, improvement programme - timescale completion

Question 21

Breaching Permits

Answer 21

sactions vary, fines, warning notice, temporary/permanent closure, depends on severity of emissions problem