Environmental News

Provisions for a Carbon Accounting Scheme put in place in Scotland

New legislation: The Carbon Accounting Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2010;The Climate Change (Limit on Carbon Units) (Scotland) Order 2010; The Climate Change (International Aviation and Shipping) (Scotland) Order 2010; The Climate Change (Annual Targets) (Scotland) Order 2010
Who does this affect: Scotland

Legislation has been made to set up a scheme in Scotland for carbon accounting which will be used to monitor compliance with the targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The Carbon Accounting Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2010 makes provision for the circumstances in which carbon units may be credited to the net Scottish emissions account (NSEA). These carbon units include both those used by participants in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and carbon units which may be used as credits by the Scottish Ministers.

The Climate Change (Limit on Carbon Units) (Scotland) Order 2010 sets a limit on the net amount of carbon units (i.e. carbon credits) that may be credited to net Scottish emissions accounts during the period 2010-2012.

The Climate Change (International Aviation and Shipping) (Scotland) Order 2010 provides the method by which emissions of greenhouse gases from international aviation and international shipping that are attributable to Scotland are calculated.

The Climate Change (Annual Targets) (Scotland) Order 2010 is currently at draft and when approved will set the first batch of annual targets for the period 2010-2022, as required by the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.

The full text of the Carbon Accounting Scheme Regulations can be found here.

The full text of the Limit on Carbon Units Order can be found here.

The full text of the International Aviation and Shipping Order Regulations can be found here.

The draft text of the Annual Targets Order can be found here.

Source: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/

Environmental News

Offshore Environmental Protection Licensing Regime Changes

New legislation: The Energy Act 2008 (Consequential Modifications) (Offshore Environmental Protection) Order 2010
Who does this affect: United Kingdom - Offshore activities within the territorial sea and Continental Shelf
When does this take effect: 01 July 2010

The Energy Act 2008 made provision for new licensing regimes to govern the offshore storage of combustible gas, the offshore unloading of combustible gas and the offshore storage of carbon dioxide. The Energy Act 2008 (Consequential Modifications) (Offshore Environmental Protection) Order 2010 modifies secondary legislation so that they take into account the new licensing regimes. The legislation modified by the Order includes the following:

• The Offshore Petroleum Production and Pipelines (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 1999
• The Offshore Petroleum Activities (Conservation of Habitats) Regulations 2001
• The Offshore Combustion Installations (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Regulations 2001
• The Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme Regulations 2005 (as amended).
• The Offshore Chemicals Regulations 2002.
• The Offshore Petroleum Activities (Oil Pollution Prevention and Control) Regulations 2005.
• The Offshore Installations (Emergency Pollution Control) Regulations 2002.
• Offshore Marine Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c) Regulations 2007.
• REACH Enforcement Regulations 2008.
• Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Regulations 2009.

The full text of the Order can be found here.

Source: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/

Environmental News

Revised Ambient Air Quality Legislation in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

New legislation: The Air Quality Standards (Scotland) Regulations 2010; The Air Quality Standards (Wales) Regulations 2010; The Air Quality Standards Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010
Who does this affect: Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
When does this take effect: 11 June 2010

Following new legislation in England for the improvement of air quality (see the April issue of InTouch), similar legislation has been made for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to enable new measures to be put in place to further reduce the impact of air pollution on the environment and human health.

The Air Quality Standards (Scotland) Regulations 2010, the Air Quality Standards (Wales) Regulations 2010, and the Air Quality Standards Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010, implement two European Directives (Council Directive 2004/107/EC and Council Directive 2008/50/EC) in their respective countries, and introduces new measures for reducing concentrations of micro fine particles (PM2.5) in addition to the measures for coarser particles (PM10) and other air-borne pollutants already covered.

Under the Regulations, Scottish Ministers, the Welsh Ministers and the Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland are required to provide to the public on up-to-date information on concentrations of pollutants and measures taken and plans prepared to meet targets, and publish annual reports for pollutants covered.

The new Regulations replace existing legislation on ambient air quality: the Air Quality Standards (Scotland) Regulations 2007, the Air Quality Standards (Wales) Regulations 2007, and the Air Quality Standards Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007.

The full text of the Scotland Regulations can be found here.

The full text of the Wales Regulations can be found: here (English) / yma (Cymraeg).

The full text of the Northern Ireland Regulations can be found here.

Source: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/

Environmental News

New Legislation for Preventing Pollution of Water Resources from Silage, Slurry and Agriculture Fuel Oil in Wales

New legislation: The Water Resources (Control of Pollution) (Silage, Slurry and Agriculture Fuel Oil) (Wales) Regulations 2010
Who does this affect: Wales - Agricultural sector
When does this take effect: 18 June 2010

New Regulations have been made to make improvements to the protection of waters from pollution by silage, slurry and fuel oil.

The new Regulations require anyone controlling silage, slurry or fuel oil to store it in ways meeting specific requirements, and makes it a criminal offence to not do so. It is also made an offence to open a silage bale within 10 metres of any waters which silage effluent could enter as a result.

The Regulations also give powers to the Environment Agency to require a person controlling silage, slurry or fuel oil to carry out works or precautions to reduce the risk of pollution to controlled waters. They also require that anyone wanting to begin storing silage, slurry or fuel oil on a farm to notify the Environment Agency at least 14 days beforehand if the silo, slurry storage system or fuel storage area it will be stored in has been newly constructed or modified after the Regulations come into force.

The new Regulations replace the Control of Pollution (Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil) Regulations 1991, as far as they relate to Wales.

The full text of the Regulations can be found: here (English) / yma (Cymraeg).

Source: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/

Environmental News

Solvent Emissions Regulations Amended in Scotland

New legislation: The Solvent Emissions (Scotland) Regulations 2010
Amended legislation: The Solvent Emissions (Scotland) Regulations 2004
Who does this affect: Scotland - Manufacturers and users of solvents
When does this take effect: 11 June 2010

The Regulations controlling solvent emissions in Scotland have seen amendments which make changes to several definitions and insert new ones, update references to the Solvent Emissions Directive and also updates terminology to reflect the changes brought in by the European Classification, Labelling and Packaging of substances and mixtures Regulation which implements the United Nations Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals).

The full text of the Regulations can be found here.

Source: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/