The next step

Pollution incident response plan

[Miscellaneous]

http publications environment agency gov uk pdf pmho0411btez e e pdf

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Dealing with spills

The official line. The EA, in conjunction with its counterparts in Northern Ireland and Scotland, has updated the Pollution Prevention Guideline (PPG): Dealing with spills: PPG 22 (see The next step). This document, which is based on relevant legislation, reflects what the authorities regard as best practice. Effectively, if you follow this guide, you can be sure that you’re on the right side of the law.

Note. This subject remains one of the hottest topics for the authorities due to the environmental impact of spills.

Tip. At over 30 pages this document is quite lengthy. However, there’s a useful flow chart on pages two and three of the report which summarises much of the guidance.

What does it say? This chart deals with the key points by breaking down the process of managing the risks of a spill into simple stages.

What to do. The first stage is to identify what you’re storing and transporting. Then, you need to determine what could happen if it’s spilt and prepare a pollution incident response plan accordingly (seeThe next step).

Tip 1. This plan should detail how the spill will be contained, what equipment is required and how the spilt material will be collected and disposed of.

Tip 2. Although this may seem excessive, if you are involved in a spill, an inspector from the EA will ask to see that you’ve gone through these stages. If they find that you haven’t, it’s likely that enforcement action will be taken. If the damage caused by the spill is significant (which is usually the case) any fine will reflect this.

For a copy of the EA’s updated guidance (EN 06.02.01A) and a free sample pollution incident response plan (EN 06.02.01B), visit http://environment.indicator.co.uk.