Survey for the UK Best Available Techniques (UK BAT) in the Smitheries & Foundries Sector

Closed 10 Jul 2024

Opened 15 May 2024

Contact

(Smitheries & Foundries Technical Author)

UK BAT Team / National Customer Contact Centre

03708 506 506

UKBAT@defra.gov.uk

Overview

This survey seeks your feedback on the environmental impacts of the Smitheries and Foundries industry in the United Kingdom as part of the 'Best Available Techniques” (BAT) regime for regulated industry.

The aim of the BAT process is to bring the UK Smitheries and Foundries industry up to the best standards, launching improvements in environmental protection.

We intend to use your views on areas such as sector pollution, the use of materials and overall efficiency to help identify the best techniques to minimise pollution and protect the environment. 

The UK BAT review process: 
This survey marks the first stage of the BAT review process. Once your views have been gathered and processed, these will shape the next steps of the decision-making process. 

The UK BAT Team will also be conducting an industry-specific questionnaire and setting up a Technical Working Group formed of industry experts, regulators, and environmental stakeholders. This group seeks to elaborate on the views of both surveys to develop further evidence gathering from UK industry to propose conclusions, aiming to reach a consensus on the best operating techniques, abatement technologies and set pollutant emission limits.

Defra will then conduct a formal public consultation on the drafted BAT conclusions to ensure all views are acquired. 

After this process is complete, the final BAT conclusions will describe the best techniques associated with the UK Smitheries and Foundries industry. These relate to the associated emission levels that form the basis of environmental permit limits.

If you would like more information on this process, access to a more detailed sector-specific questionnaire, or you or your organisation are interested in joining the Technical Working Group, please contact us by email UKBAT@defra.gov.uk quoting 'SF' in the subject heading.
 

What happens next

The responses received will be presented to the Smitheries & Foundries Technical Working Group for consideration. Summary notes from the inital meeting of the Technical Working Group will be made availible on www.gov.uk in autumn 2024. 

Events

  • Smitheries & Foundries Open Forum

    From 5 Jun 2024 at 11:00 to 5 Jun 2024 at 12:00

    You are invited to join us virtually at the Smitheries & Foundries Sector Open Forum on 5 June. This meeting is open to all, and will provide an opportunity to meet the UK BAT Team and discover more about the UK BAT process. There will be time at the end for general questions about UK BAT. To join the meeting, please click on the link below or email UKBAT@defra.gov.uk

    https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_OWJmZDc2ODAtNDU0OS00NjdiLWE1YjAtMGNlY2Q1NGQ3M2U0%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22770a2450-0227-4c62-90c7-4e38537f1102%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22d0b2a2eb-63e0-4d03-9394-b03b8544bdcb%22%7d

    We look forward to meeting you.

    Add to my Calendar (.ics)

Audiences

  • Charities/Voluntary Organisations
  • Environmental campaigners
  • Trade Unions
  • Government Departments
  • Government Agencies
  • Devolved Administrations
  • Aggregates sector
  • Energy sector
  • Industries and professional services
  • Water/water Industry sector
  • Water Abstractors
  • Environmental professional services
  • Households
  • Local Authorities
  • Waste Producers and Handlers
  • Business/Private Sector
  • Policy Teams
  • Local Authorities
  • WEEE Treatment Facilities
  • Waste Management Companies
  • All Defra staff and ALBs
  • Non-Government Organisation
  • Manufacturing Industry
  • Member of the General Public
  • SME businesses
  • Energy suppliers
  • Water suppliers
  • Environmental Health Officers
  • Professional and Membership Organisations/Agencies
  • Public Bodies
  • Consultants
  • Stakeholders

Interests

  • Natural environment
  • Climate change
  • Green infrastructure
  • Green economy
  • Sustainable development
  • National Adaptation Programme
  • Waste and recycling
  • Water quality
  • Air quality
  • Water conservation
  • Sewerage
  • Air pollution
  • Ozone
  • Chemicals and pesticides
  • Noise
  • Local environments
  • Aarhus Convention
  • Resource Efficiency
  • Pollution Sector
  • Science
  • Water Abstraction
  • Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases
  • Consultations
  • DEFRA Policy
  • Policy and Delivery