The place where you work is regulated under the Environmental Permitting Regulations. This is to reduce any pollution the factory or other sort of premises may cause and, in particular, to help improve air quality.
By complying with the regulations, your factory/premises will be reducing its environmental impact.
The place where you work (eg. factory) needs a permit to operate. The permit will include conditions. They will say how the factory must be run to minimise pollution.
The Government has published guidance for each type of factory. This says what are likely to be the right pollution standards. Under the law, the standards must strike a balance between protecting the environment and the cost of doing so.
High Peak Borough Council is responsible for regulating the factory. This means that from time to time an officer from the Council’s Environmental Services department will visit to check the regulations are being complied with.
The Council must by law have regard to the Government’s guidance (External website**).
The Council must also consider local circumstances.
The Council rates the factory as high, medium or low risk. This is based on two things. First, what the environmental impact would be if something went wrong. Second, how reliably and effectively the permit conditions are complied with.
If a factory is rated low risk, the Council charges less for it to be regulated. Also it means that the environment is being more reliably protected.
The Council has powers if a business doesn’t comply with its permit or operates without one.
It can serve various sorts of legal notice or take the business to Court. But the preference is to work with businesses to solve problems, only using tough measures as a last resort. Council officers often try to advise on money-saving ways to lower pollution.
Everyone in a factory can have a role in helping to make sure the permit is reliably complied with, and to minimise the environmental impact of the factory.
This may just be by following instructions on how to comply with permit conditions. Or it may be keeping an eye open for possible problems. Or it could be suggesting ways of improving the factory's environmental performance. And don’t forget that ideas for improvements could also save the business some money, such as by reducing waste.
Saving energy, using less water, reducing waste and other similar actions are referred to as "sustainable consumption and production". Another term is "resource efficiency" - doing the same thing but using fewer raw materials.
According to Government figures:
For the legal side, the law is in the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010. The Regulations also implement some European Community Directives.
If you want more information about the procedures you will need to read bits of the General Guidance Manual (External website**).
There is all sorts of information and contacts about resource efficiency available from WRAP (External website**). Alternatively you can phone them on 01295 819 900.
DEFRA is the Government Department responsible for the system in England. You can phone 08459 33 55 77 or email helpline@defra.gsi.gov.uk.
**Please note: High Peak Borough Council is not responsible for the content of any external websites.