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Public Register

As Scotland's environment watchdog, we understand and recognise the importance of access to public information and are committed to making more of our information publicly available.

This page explains what the Public Register is, what is currently available online, what we will be making available online in early 2024 and what information must be requested from SEPA.

The Public Register

Under various pieces of legislation, SEPA have to maintain certain information about activities we regulate in registers and make that information available to the public. These different registers of information are commonly referred to together as "the Public Register".

In December 2020 we lost access to much of our Public Register documentation. We have continued to provide a service in response to requests for Public Register information and we also provide access to some Public Register information online.

We are also creating a new on-line digital Public Register service which will make most of our regulatory documents and data publicly available. This ambitious five-year project is part of our digital transformation.

Public Register information currently available online

Key Public Register data

Our Find authorisation information website provides key Public Register data which can be used to search for information about authorisations under:

  • Industrial activities - Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC).
  • Waste regimes.
  • Water - Controlled Activities Regulations (CAR).
  • Controlled reservoirs (RES).

Where applicable, this includes data on authorisation sites, authorisation holder and authorisation number, but does not include authorisation documents themselves.

When visiting our Find authorisation information page, it my take a few minutes for the full list of authorisations to be visible due to the size of the dataset, please bear with us.

Public register authorisation documentation for waste activities, water, and industrial activities

We are now publishing documentation on the Find an authorisation document webpage:

  • Authorisation documentation for PPC Part A activities issued both before and since January 2021. In December 2020 we lost access to much of our Public Register documentation. Key PPC Part A documentation received or issued by SEPA prior to January 2021 and now published has been subjecte4d to a verification process prior to being published.
  • Authorisation documents, including new authorisations and changes to existing authorisations that SEPA has issued since January 2021 for:

If your search brings up the notification "Document not found - Currently there are no published documents available for this authorised sit", there will be different reasons for that:

a) The redaction and upload of the documentation issued from 1 January 2021 is ongoing and, where possible, there is verification work ongoing for a very limited amount of pre-January 2021 PPC Part A documentation. We are continually increasing the numbers of authorised sites for which authorisation documents have been published. You may wish to search again at a later point; or

b) In limited circumstances there may be legal reasons why the documentation has not been published.

Documentation received or issued from 1 January 2021 onwards is available on request from registry@sepa.org.uk.

In general, documentation received or issued before 1 January 2021 is not readily available. If such documentation is requested, we will provide the best information we currently have available but can't confirm it is complete or accurate. Any use made of this information will be at the requester's own risk. You can request this documentation through our access to information service.

Batteries and accumulators

This register is maintained by the Environment Agency on behalf of all four UK regulators, including SEPA. The register provides information on all battery producers, compliance schemes, and battery treatment operators or exporters.

Contaminated land

Non-published Public Register information, such as notices and notifications, available on request from our access to information service.

Registers of land identified as statutorily contaminated are maintained by local authorities. Contact the relevant local authority in relation to information on sites other than special sites.

Controlled reservoirs

Contains key information about each registered reservoir including reservoir manager details, panel engineers associated with the reservoir and an inundation map highlighting the area of land that is likely to be flooded in the event of an uncontrolled release of water.

Additionally, the following information is available on request at reservoirs@sepa.org.uk 

  • Safety reports and other associated documentation.
  • Inspection reports and other associated documentation.
  • Written recommendations/statements by a supervising engineer.

Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH)

COMAH information

SEPA and the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) are a joint competent authority under the COMAH Regulations 2015. Whilst the competent authority is not required to maintain a public register of information, it is required to make certain information in relation to every COMAH establishment available to the public. The HSE maintains this information on behalf of all the GB competent authorities with this information available through its website. Information is uploaded directly by operators. 

Packaging waste

This register is maintained by the Environment Agency on behalf of all four UK regulators, including SEPA. The register provides information on all packaging producers, compliance schemes, packaging re-processors and exporters.

River basin districts: Scotland and Solway Tweed

Provides a searchable list of all protected areas in Scotland and Solway Tweed

Provides protected area information in maps and charts.

Additional information on water bodies and special protection designation.

River basin district: Northumbria

SEPA has an agreement with the Environment Agency to maintain information.

Waste Carriers and Brokers

Waste carriers' applications are available on request from registry@sepa.org.uk.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)

This register is maintained by the Environment Agency on behalf of all four UK regulators, including SEPA. It provides a register of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) producers and producer compliance schemes.

This register is maintained by SEPA. It provides a register of Approved Exporters and Approved Authorised Treatment Facilities.

Public Register information not currently available online

The following Public Register information is not currently available online but can be requested from SEPA:

  • Waste activities (WML) information not detailed above, for example waste management licences and modification notices issued prior to 1 January 2021 or documentation submitted by operators since 1 January 2021.
  • Waste carrier activities (WCR) and waste brokers information not covered above, for example Waste Carrier Registration documentation, including those issued after 1 January 2021. Confirmation of a Waste Carrier Registration can be found on our registered waste carriers list.
  • Professional collectors and transporters of waste - registrations and other related information.
  • Industrial activities (PPC) information not covered above, for example Part B PPC authorisations issued prior to 1 January 2021 or some of the documentation submitted by operators since 1 January 2021.
  • Water activities (CAR) information not covered above, for example waste water treatment licences and variation notices issued prior to 2021; documentation submitted by operators since 1 January 2021; and activities authorised by Registration, such as private sewage treatment systems, including those issued after 1 January 2021.

Documentation received or issued from 1 January 2021 onwards is available on request from registry@sepa.org.uk

In general, documentation received or issued before 1 January 2021 is not readily available. If such documentation is requested, we will provide the best information we currently have available but can't confirm it is complete or accurate. Any use made of this information will be at the requester's own risk. You can request this documentation through our access to information service.

For the following Public Register information please contact as indicated below:

  • Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) information - Inventories of contaminated equipment and producers, register specifying the quantity, origin, nature and PCB content of used PCBs. Contact our access to information team.
  • Radioactive substances information, for example, authorisations for the disposal of radioactive waste. If documentation issued received or issued before January 2021 is requested, we will provide the best information we currently have available but can't confirm it is complete or accurate. Any use made of this information will be at the requester's own risk please contact us.

How and when will you put more information online?

We are at the early stages of a project to create a new online digital Public Register service as part of our digital transformation. We intend to make most of our regulatory documents and data, publicly available online through this service, going beyond the regime specified public register requirements.

What other SEPA information is currently available online?

SEPA strives to be open and transparent and publishes a large amount of data online. This is being expanded as we progress through our digital transformation. You can see more details and find links to this proactively published data at access to information.

What do I do if the information I want is not mentioned here?

If the information you are looking for is not listed above or detailed on our access to information page you can submit a request for information, regardless of who you are, where you live or what you want the information for.

To submit a request for information, please email our access to information team. You should be as specific as possible about the information you want so we can help you, although you don't need to tell us why you want it.