Consultation on modernising environmental permitting for industry
Contents
This consultation sets out a package of reforms to modernise the environmental permitting framework for industry and energy sectors. The proposed reforms are set out in the following chapters:
Chapter 1: Enabling innovation and encouraging new technologies and techniques
- Regulatory sandboxing
- Commercial confidentiality
- Commercial activity at research and development (R&D) installations
- Notification of R&D and testing exemptions with the regulator
- R&D and testing exemption for generators
- Guidance on Emerging Techniques (GET)
Chapter 2: Agile standards - rapid, predictable and integrated standard setting
- A more dynamic approach to setting Best Available Techniques (BAT)
- Horizontal BAT
- Decarbonisation and circular economy standards
- Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) and BAT for all industry - covering Part B installations, small waste incineration plant, solvent emission activities, and medium combustion plant and specified generators
Chapter 3: Proportionate regulation and coherence in the framework
- Flexible tiers of regulation
- Registration approach for smaller Medium Combustion Plant
- Back-up generators and data centres
- Hydrogen production
- Sub-surface storage of hydrogen
- Carbon capture activities
- Battery energy storage systems (BESS)
- Battery manufacturing
- Non-waste anaerobic digestion
- Mining and treatment of metals and minerals
- Alternative thermal treatment
- Other technical scope changes
- Reconsidering regulator responsibilities
- Simplification of the Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPRs) and related guidance
Chapter 4: Regulator effectiveness and efficiency
- Outline permitting approval
- Site-level flexible permitting approaches
- Industrial clusters
- Interactions with other regimes, covering planning, Local Air Quality Management (LAQM), and alignment of industry and legal standards regimes
- Local authority fees and charges
- Emission limit value (ELV) guidance change
Chapter 5: A transparent framework
- Modernising the UK Pollution Release and Transfer Register
Please read and respond to the pages relevant to you or your organisation.