Applying for a licence

Many activities that may pose a risk to the environment can only legally be carried out in Scotland with an environmental licence from SEPA, for example discharging effluent, storing radioactive materials and managing waste.

We will provide a consistent standard of regulation for all licence holders and follow the standards set down in our Working with Environmental Licence Holders guide pdf link (89k).

Applications for environmental licences which may have a significant environmental impact are advertised in the local press. Anyone with an interest can then see the application and make comments on the proposal.

Charges associated with environmental licences

We ensure that applicants are fully aware of the standard charges for applications for each type of environmental licence. In cases where further information has to be gathered before a decision can be made on an application, there may be an additional charge to cover the cost of acquiring the data, but this will always be subject to prior agreement.

We are required to recover in full the expenditure incurred in exercising our regulatory functions. Full consultation will be undertaken with industry in the event of any revision to our charges.