Norfolk Local Authority
pollution prevention & control
Newsletter
September 2015
CONTENTS:
Changes for Waste
Oil Burners
A Week in the life of a
Pollution Control Officer
Unsung Heroes
Timber Update
Feedback
Regulation Powers
Crossword
Changes for Waste
Oil Burners
There is currently a consultation
from Defra regarding the use of
Waste Oil for heating which ends
on 26th October.
On 16 July 2015 the
Parliamentary Under Secretary
of State for Environment and
Rural Affairs, Rory Stewart,
announced that as part of their
commitment to improve air
quality the Government would
amend the current Environmental
Permitting Guidance – the Waste
Incineration Directive guidance
to state clearly that all waste
incineration plants and waste
co-incineration plants burning
waste oils in England fall under
the scope of Chapter IV the
Industrial Emissions Directive
(IED). This amendment will
reduce emissions of air
pollutants from the use
of waste oil as a fuel by
requiring all operators of
SWOBs burning waste oils to
meet the requirements of the
Industrial Emission Directive
or, alternatively, to choose to
burn other non-waste fuels
such as gas or fuel oils.
https://consult.defra.gov.
uk/atmosphere-localenvironment-team/wasteincineration-guidance/
supporting_documents/
Consultation%20Document.
pdf
If you wish to discuss this
further please contact your
local council.
A Week in the life of a
Pollution Control Officer
MONDAY – It’s the start of the
week and time to check all of
the work that has arrived via the
in-tray. A number of planning
applications have been received
by the Council and they must be
commented on by Environmental
Health.
The Pollution Control Team
reviews these planning
applications and makes
comments on potential pollution
issues, including potential air
pollution or developments that
may be built on potentially
contaminated land. If there is
the possibility of either of these
we can put conditions on the
potential pollution issues.
TUESDAY – It’s time to
undertake a programmed A2
Process. The company will be
visited and an assessment will
be made on its compliance over
the year. The officer will review
the compliance of the company
by undertaking a paper audit and
a walk around the factory will
also be required.
WEDNESDAY – It’s time to
replace the nitrogen dioxide
diffusion tubes and to check
the operation of our air quality
monitoring station. We have
a network of diffusion tubes
located around the Borough and
each month these need to be
sent to a laboratory for analysis.
The old tubes are replaced by a
new tube on a monthly rotational
basis and this requires an officer
to drive around the Borough to
collect and replace them. The
officer will have to complete
the relevant paperwork and
send the tubes to an accredited
laboratory. The air quality
monitoring station is checked
to ensure that it is analysing
correctly. The Council has a
legal duty to monitor for nitrogen
dioxide levels as it is harmful
to health. Nitrogen dioxide is
produced by car engines and
Industrial processes.
THURSDAY – The Council
has received a complaint
from a neighbouring business
on the Industrial Park who is
complaining about emissions of
paint spray from a company that
holds a Permit with the Council.
A pollution control officer will
visit the site to ensure that
they are complying with their
Permit and take relevant actions
depending on the potential
breach. In the afternoon the
Pollution Control Officer will be
installing the local authority’s
noise monitor in a residential
property which resulted from
a formal complaint by the
householder. The householder
is being affected by loud music
from their neighbour who has a
passion for heavy bass music.
FRIDAY – It’s the final day of the
week and the Pollution Control
Officer is investigating a wood
yard that undertakes a number
of processes. The purpose is to
determine whether or not the
company should be operating
with a Permit and to ensure they
are not causing pollution. The
company do undertake some
wood processing operations
and is believed to be carrying
out wood treatment. The
officer will visit the site and
evaluate its processes to
determine whether they
meet the threshold for
timber working or indeed the
threshold for wood treatment.
UNSUNG HEROES
Did you know that Norfolk
Regulators collectively inspect
around five hundred premises
as part of the LAPPC regime?
Petrol Stations, Waste Oil
Burners, Dry Cleaners and
Vehicle Paint Resprayers make
up the largest percentage
of these inspections, but
there are also Concrete
Crushers, Crematoria, Coating
Processes, Timber Processing,
Animal Carcass Incineration
and Sand Drying to name
but a few more! Whilst not
all of these premises need
inspecting every year (if they
are deemed low risk by the
Regulator), work always
continues behind the scenes
to ensure Operators have the
latest guidance and the most
up to date and appropriate
permit issued.
As Regulators we work
tirelessly to make sure your
permit runs as smoothly and
as painlessly as possible – if
there is more you think we can
do to improve our service to
you please do get in touch!
WHO IS MY REGULATOR?
ENVIRONMENT AGENCY
• Part A(1) installations:
Emissions to Air/Land/Water
Energy Efficiency
Waste reduction
Noise/Vibration Heat
Raw Material Consumption
Accident Prevention
LOCAL AUTHORITY
The definition between A1 and •
A2 will be activity specific and
may depend upon differences
in
capacity or the specific
nature of
polluting operations within that
activity. Please refer to
Schedule
1 (Part 2) of the EPR (2010)
to see where your activity fits.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/
ukdsi/2010/9780111491423/
schedule/1/part/2
• Waste mobile plant • Part B installations and Part
B mobile plant:
Part A(2) installations:
Emissions to Air/Land/Water
Energy Efficiency
Waste reduction
Noise/Vibration Heat
Raw Material Consumption
Accident Prevention
Emissions to air only
• Waste operations, unless the waste operation is a Part B activity Please note that waste exemptions
• Small waste incineration plants
(Thermal rated input of less than
50 Megawatts)
• Mining waste operations,
including any carried on at a
Part B installation
• Solvent emission activities.
may apply:
https://www.gov.uk/environmentalpermit-
check-if-you-need-one/permits
• Radioactive substances activities
• Water discharge activities
• Groundwater activities, including
those carried on at a Part B
installation.
Bespoke Permits
If your activity does not fit within the definitions above, or more specifically those definitions listed
in Schedule 1 (Part 2) EPR 2010, it is likely that you will need a bespoke permit. To determine if
this is the case refer to Gov.UK on the following link: https://www.gov.uk/environmental-permithow-to-apply/bespoke-permit
Part B Operators
Look in Your Permit for Clues
2
3
5
1
4
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
20
21
22
19
TIMBER UPDATE
The deadline for having an A2
permit for Timber Treatment
PGN 6/03 now SG 11. was
7th July – if you haven’t
applied and think you need
one – get in touch now!!
ACROSS
6
8
9
14
15
16
18
19
20
21
22
where things are made
not allowed to emit this from your site
need one to operate legally
You get a visit from one periodically
You have to complete one at each visit
we all hate it but it has to be done or you
pay more!
you may have to do this for your emissions
what smoke comes out of
makes short work of concrete
Have to comply with these
don’t want this to persist
DOWN
1
2
3
4
5
7
10
11
12
13
17
used for cleaning or thinning
covers materials like wood, plastic or metal etc
use one to keep your figures in order
Mustn’t be seen across the boundary
what you pay each year for a Permit
Permits have quite a few of these
what we try to protect with a Permit
can be burned with a Permit
they issue the Regulations
none on the moon
once each year
REGULATORS’ CONTACT DETAILS:
Breckland Environmental Protection
e: envprotect@breckland.gov.uk
t: 01362 656350
Broadland Environmental Protection Team
e: envon.protect@broadland.gov.uk
t: 01603 430488
Great Yarmouth
Richard Alger
e: raa@great-yarmouth.gov.uk
t: 01493 84622
Feedback from Newsletter
When asked whether operators
would like us to keep the
newsletter going the replies
were:
Like it...I love it. Superb!
Yes please
Keep it going
Although very informative the
DEFRA stuff is not the most
exciting read.....
I like it. I think it’s very informative.
Thanks.
Yes please keep it.
Many thanks got the newsletter - all good stuff. Next issue.....
source, pathway, receptor?
Examples how minor leaks or
leaching can cause big issues?
Kings Lynn & West Norfolk Environmental Quality Team
e: environmentalquality@west-norfolk.gov.uk
t: 01553 616200
North Norfolk Environmental Protection Team
e: ep@north-norfolk.gov.uk
t: 01263 516 085
Norwich City Council Environmental Protection Team
e: ehealth@norwich.gov.uk
t: 0344 980 3333
South Norfolk Environmental Services
e: envserv@s-norfolk.gov.uk
t: 01508 533653 / 08081684444