Our Principles
 SEPA believes that its aims of environmental protection and enhancement are best served by being an open and accessible organisation and by providing the public with information on our activities and on the state of the environment.
We are committed to providing an efficient, high quality public service which fully meets the Government's Citizen's Charter principles. This Code explains how we will apply these principles in practice.
SEPA Board Meetings
Dates and venues for meetings of SEPA Boards will be notified in the press well in advance of the due dates. Agendas of these meetings are made available to the public on specific request at the same time as they are sent to Board Members and agendas and minutes for the main board meetings are posted on our web site.
Board meetings are held in open session but may include, if appropriate, a private session for the discussion of matters.
Names of Board members and their interests are freely available.
Consultation and Communication
 Our staff are in regular contact with operators of industrial processes, holders of environmental licences, etc. and we encourage consultation and discussion as a means of improving environmental quality. We welcome comments on our policies and strategies from interested parties. All formal consultation documents, for example on our charging schemes, are made available to those who may be affected by their requirements.
Environmental Licences
Where applications for environmental licences may have a significant environmental impact they are advertised in the local press. Anyone with an interest can then see the application and make comments on the proposal
Public Registers
We maintain a number of statutory public registers. The information is held on a combination of paper and computer files which may be inspected, free of charge, at our Regional Headquarters and certain local offices - for further information about registers please contact your nearest SEPA office.
Disclosure of Information
Information will be made available under the Government's Code of Practice on Access to Government Information and the Environmental Information Regulations.
There are certain types of information which are generally not available to the public, which include:
- confidential information which is part of a legal case, or concerning national security.
- personal or commercially confidential information.
- incomplete or draft documents at our discretion.
- information where disclosure may lead to environmental damage.
If we have to refuse a request this will be confirmed in writing by one of our senior managers, outlining the reasons for the refusal. Where we are able to release information it will be done as soon as practicable.
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