Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control

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Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control

• University College Northampton

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Topic Overview

• This training package covers
• The introduction and implementation of IPPC
• How it affects UK Industry
• The responsibilities for Industry and the
  Regulator
• How it is monitored and maintained

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What is Integrated Pollution and Prevention
Control

• Commonly referred to as IPPC
• Sets out to apply an integrated environmental
  approach to the regulation of certain industrial
  activities
• Replaced Integrated Pollution Control IPC
• IPPC regulates major industrial installations
  formally covered by IPC and has expanded its
  activities to include smaller industrial
  installations

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What is its purpose

• Its primary purpose is to prevent or reduce
  emissions to the air, water and land from
  potentially polluting industrial processes which
  cover
• Energy industries
• Production and processing of metals
• Mineral industry
• Chemical industry
• Waste management Industry
• Other activities

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Setting the legal framework

• The regulations implement the European Community
  (EC) Directive 96/61/EC on integrated Pollution
  Prevention and Control
• The Department for Environment, Food and Rural
  Affairs (DEFRA) is responsible for implementation
  of the directive by proposing the required
  changes to UK legislation
• The Secretary of State can issue specific
  statutory guidance to regulators if seen to be
  necessary

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When did it come into force

• Oct. 1996 Directive enters into force in the UK
• Oct. 1999 brought into effect in the UK
• Oct. 2002 Annual reporting of industrial releases
  to the European Commission commences
• Oct. 2007 All existing installations will require
  IPPC permits

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General requirements

• To prevent pollution
• Minimise waste
• Conserve energy
• Prevent accidents
• Clean up of site when activity stops

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How these general requirements are determined

• These requirements are determined by applying the
  principal of Best Available Technique (BAT)
• BAT should be used in taking all appropriate
  measures against pollution
• It requires the identification of BAT for the
  whole installation rather than for individual
  activities within that installation

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Implementation

• DEFRA is responsible for the implementation of
  the directive
• The manner of implementation is usually decided
  after consultation with other government
  departments
• DEFRA will designate regulating authorities to
  ensure compliance, carry out inspections and take
  any enforcement action deemed necessary

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How it is regulated

• The procedure starts with the preparation of an
  application for a permit by the operator
• Details of the application should be made
  available and public representations should be
  encouraged
• The regulator will then determine the
  application, either granting a permit with
  conditions or refusing it

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Operating conditions

• Operator must be a fit and proper person and be
  able to maintain -
• Satisfactory environmental management
• Adequate compliance monitoring
• Assessment of polluting releases
• Compliance with quality standards
• Energy efficiency and waste minimisation
• Prevention of accidents

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Other important factors

• The regulator should place any application on the
  public register before it can be accepted
• Any application should take into consideration
  local environmental conditions
• An assessment of any environmental effects of
  proposed installation should be taken into account

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How it is financed

• Regulators have to recover the costs of their
  IPPC operations from permit holders
• Charges will vary across installations and
  sectors to fairly reflect the degree of
  compliance
• The regulator must receive these charges before
  any application will be considered

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How it is maintained and monitored

• Permits are reviewed on a regular basis
• The operator has significant responsibility for
  monitoring under IPPC
• Once an operator has a permit it must advise the
  regulator whenever it proposes a change in the
  operation of the installation
• Regulators are required to maintain registers
  containing all the installations they are
  responsible for

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Checking and enforcing compliance

• The regulations allow the regulator to serve an
  enforcement notice
• If the operation of an installation involves
  imminent risk of serious pollution the regulator
  can serve a suspension notice
• The regulator can at any time revoke a permit, in
  whole or in part by serving a revocation notice
  
• If an operator has committed a criminal offence
  the regulators can consider prosecution

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Summary

• IPPC sets out to achieve
• a high level of protection of the environment
  taken as a whole by, in particular, preventing
  or, where that is not practicable, reducing
  emissions into the air, water and land
  (Regulation 8 (2) - (3) ).