Industrial and commercial processes
Polluting emissions from industrial and commercial
activities
The council’s environmental quality team regulates air
pollution from the industrial and commercial activities in the
borough that are prescribed in law for local authority control
under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations,
2000 SI 3538 (as amended), known as the ‘EP Regulations’.
Regulated facilities include dry cleaners, petrol filling
stations, car re-spraying premises that use at least one tonne of
organic solvent per annum, ready-mixed concrete plants, a bulk
cement depot, mobile concrete crushing and screening plant, a
non-ferrous metal foundry, a timber mill, a textile printer and a
degreasing plant.
Currently there are 110 environmental permits issued to companies, partnerships or sole traders who either operate an installation at premises within the borough or who operate mobile plant and have their principal place of business in the borough.
Local authorities are required by law to include conditions in any permit they issue. These are designed to ensure that the installation or mobile plant is operated using the “Best Available Techniques” (BAT) to prevent and minimise emissions of pollutants. The council also has a duty to take such action as may be necessary for the purpose of ensuring that conditions are complied with. This involves regular inspections and enforcement action, if necessary. Secretary of State’s process guidance notes are issued for all the main categories of regulated activities. These contain Defra’s view on what is BAT for each type of polluting activity. Under the EP Regulations, local authorities must keep up to date with developments in BAT.
Local authorities can issue legally enforceable notices to ensure that appropriate standards of control are met and raised in line with new techniques and new awareness of environmental risk. Powers are available to require an activity to be stopped if there is an imminent risk of serious pollution of the environment. Local authorities have powers of entry, inspection, sampling, investigation, and seizure of articles or substances in connection with their pollution control duties.
Ealing Council is responsible for controlling industries that may cause air pollution, known as Part B activities. Larger processes that can pollute air, water and land are regulated either by the council (Part A2 activities, though there are none of these in the borough at present) or by the Environment Agency (Part A1 activities). All permits contain legally enforceable conditions to control the emissions of pollutants.
The council is required to maintain a public register giving details of all installations in its area. The register includes details of applications, permits, notices, directions issued by the Secretary of State, appeal decisions, monitoring data, etc. Only information of national security or commercial confidentially can be omitted from the register. If you would like to look at the register for a particular premises, please contact the environmental quality team on (020) 8825 7853.
The council is required to inspect all permitted installations according to a frequency determined by official guidance. Smaller installations such as dry cleaners and petrol stations are inspected annually. Some larger installations are risk-assessed and are inspected according to their ‘low’, ‘medium’ or ‘high’ risk rating.