Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control
Current position
Pollution from larger industrial installations is regulated under the Pollution Prevention and Control regime. This regime implements the EU Directive on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) (2008/1/EC). IPPC applies an integrated environmental approach to the regulation of certain industrial activities. Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) applies to about 4000 industrial installations in the UK (about 45,000 in the EU), ranging from refineries to breweries and from intensive pig farms to cement works. It requires each installation to have a permit containing emission limit values and other conditions based on the application of Best Available Techniques (BAT) and set to minimise emissions of pollutants likely to be emitted in significant quantities to air, water or land. Permit conditions also have to address energy efficiency, waste minimisation, prevention of accidental emissions and site restoration.
IPPC aims to reduce emissions from industrial installations and contributes to meeting various environment policy targets and compliance with EU directives. Since 31 October 2000, new installations are required to apply for an IPPC permit. Existing installations were required to apply for an IPPC permit over a phased timetable until October 2007.
Publications and guidance
Environment Agency
The following documents are designed to provide those operating and regulating PPC activities under the Environmental Permitting Regulations with information on the permitting procedure.
Local authority
Recent developments
In December 2010, the Directive on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control) (Recast) (2010/75/EU), was published in the Official Journal and requires transposition into UK law no later than 6 January 2013. It represents a combining of seven directives, including the Waste Incineration directive, into one piece of legislation. Certain provisions of the directive follow the implementation dates below:
- Transposition into UK law by 6 January 2013.
- Implementation from 6 January 2013 in respect of any installation new after that date.
- Implementation by 6 January 2014 in respect of installations already in existence before 6 January 2013 (except large combustion plants).
- Implementation by 6 July 2015 in respect of industrial activities not subject to the current integrated pollution prevention and control Directive.
- Implementation from 1 January 2016 in respect of large combustion plants already in existence before 6 January 2013.