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Welcome to the Oil and Gas UK Environmental Legislation Website. The aim of this site is to provide access to information on statutory environmental requirements for offshore and onshore upstream oil and gas operations. The website provides guidance on consent applications, statutory limits for discharges and emissions, and what statutory and industry reporting mechanisms are in place. Guidance is also given on consent renewal, variation and what to do in the event of non-compliance. The website is maintained and updated on a quarterly basis to ensure the information provided is accurate and up to date (see How to Use Site for more information). Latest News and Ongoing Consultations is updated more frequently as required. The contents of the site is driven by the users, and if anyone has suggestions for additional topics or summary tables please contact us. In addition any feedback on broken links, errors or general tidbits for inclusions will be welcomed. Crown material has been reproduced with the permission of the controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office. The material available in this guide is designed to provide general information only. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided is accurate, it does not constitute legal or other professional advice. Content of this site must not be used for re-sale. Latest News and Ongoing Consultations 15 September 2008 - DEFRA has launched consultation on waste incentive schemes: draft recycling service guidance. Closing date for responses 14 November 2008. 14 September 2008 - Environment Agency has launched a consultation on new and revised sets of standard rules and generic risk assessments that will be available next year under the Environmental Permitting (EP) Regulations 2007. The rules sets concern waste operations and some low risk installations under the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive. Closing date for responses 14 November 2008. 12 September 2008 - Environment Agency consult on proposed charges for 2009/2010. Closing date for responses 5 December 2008. 4 September 2008 - Scottish Government has launched a consultation that provides information on proposals for schemes for classifying surface waters, including heavily modified and artificial bodies; for classifying groundwaters; and for assessing protected areas. These proposals are intended to enable the consistent assessment of the quality of Scotland's water environment. Closing date for responses 17 October 2008. 20 August 2008 - Site wide update undertaken. See News and Updates for detail. 14 August 2008 - DEFRA, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Environment Agency are undertaking a review of the waste exemptions from environmental permitting. The aim of the review is to provide a more risk based and proportionate approach to the regulation of waste recovery and disposal operations, complementing the new environmental permitting regime. Closing date for responses 23 October 2008. 1st August 2008 - The European Commission presented today a proposal to revise the current legislation on the protection of the ozone layer. The revision is intended to simplify the current legislation and reflect the progress made in phasing out ozone-depleting substances in the European Union. 18 July 2008 - Natural England issues consultation on its draft Enforcement Policy. Closing date for responses 18 October 2008 17 July 2008 - 5 year UK-Environmental Observation Framework (UK-EOF) launched. UK-EOF is a partnership between Government departments, Research Councils and agencies. The UK-EOF comes from a recognition of the need to address the issues surrounding the collection and sharing of long-term datasets. The UK-EOF aims, by 2013, to find solutions to the long-standing issues of funding and sharing the datasets, and to enable the UK to achieve a robust evidence base by contributing to many national and international programmes such as Living With Environmental Change. 17 July 2008 - new OSPAR Recommendations and Guidance published. All enter into force on 1 January 2009.
16 July 2008 - BERR issues guidance on Energy Assessment Methodology (pdf file) as required under the Offshore Combustion Installations (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Regulations 2001. 14 July 2008 - Sustainable Seas for All: A Consultation on Scotland's First Marine Bill. Closing date for responses 6 October 2008. 11 July 2008 - DEFRA consultation on proposed further implementation measures on EC Regulation 842/2006 on fluorinated greenhouse gases and ozone depleting substances. Comments on this consultation should be received by 3 October 2008. 11 July 2008 - DEFRA consultation on draft local air quality management guidance. Closing date for comments 26 September 2008. 10 July 2008 - EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) website has been redesigned. 3 July 2008 - SEPA is consulting on its plan to introduce a new compliance assessment scheme. Your responses to this consultation will inform the development of the final scheme, which is proposed to be phased in from 1st January 2009. Closing date for responses 3 October 2008. 30 June 2008 - DEFRA launches consultation on draft Wildlife Strategy for England. Closing date for responses 22 September 2008. 27 June 2008 - Scottish Government consultation launched on Implementing the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003: Development of Environmental Standards and Conditions Limits - Phase II. Closing date for responses 30 September 2008. 26 June 2008 - BERR has revoked the UK Dispersed Oil in Produced Water Trading Scheme. Dispersed oil in produced water continues to be regulated under the Offshore Petroleum Activities (Oil Pollution Prevention and Control) Regulations 2005 and associated permit conditions. All permit conditions remain in force except those specifically associated with the trading scheme. BERR is currently reviewing the conditions associated with the permits and UK offshore oil and gas operators will be consulted on proposed changes by the end of July. Target date for issue of new revised permits is 1 January 2009. 26 June 2008 - The European Commission has decided to refer nine Member States including the UK to the European Court of Justice for failing to transpose the EU directive on liability for damage to the environment into their domestic law. The deadline was 30 April 2007. Read more 24 June 2008 - Adapting Our Ways: Managing Scotland's Climate Risk: Consultation to inform Scotland's Climate Change Adaptation Framework. Closing date for responses to Scottish Government 31 October 2008. 18 June 2008 - Consultation on Our Seas – A Shared Resource. To elaborate the marine vision, the UK Government and Devolved Administrations have worked together to set out a number of high level Marine Objectives which articulate the outcomes they are seeking for the UK marine area as a whole. The UK Government, Northern Ireland Executive and Welsh Assembly Government would welcome your views on these. Closing date for responses 30 September 2008. 18 June 2008 - in parallel to DEFRA consultations on radioactive strategy for UK, the Environment Agency has issued draft Radioactive Substances Regulation Environmental Principles (REPs) and Assessment of Best Available Techniques (BAT). Closing date for comments 30 September 2008. 18 June 2008 - DEFRA has launched two consultations - the first on draft Statutory Guidance to the Environment Agency on the regulation of radioactive discharges into the environment and the second on the associated draft UK strategy for radioactive discharges 2006-2030. Closing date for responses 30 September 2008. 18 June 2008 - The EU adoped a Recommendation on the Minimum Criteria for Environmental Inspections in 2001 setting out non-binding rules. This Recommendation has not been fully implemented in all Member States. The EU seeking views on how the Recommendation should be reviewed before deciding on future measures to be proposed. Link to Consultation. Closing date for responses 18 September 2008
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