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".
The criminal cyber-attack on our systems disabled 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
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)
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.
Industrial activities
Information including authorisation documents relating to Part A industrial activities under the Pollution Prevention & Control (PPC) regime are available on our website at find an authorisation document.
The criminal cyber-attack on our systems in December 2020 disabled access to much of our Public Register documentation. Any PPC Part A documentation received or issued by SEPA prior to January 2021 and now published has been subjected to a verification process prior to being published.
If your search brings up this notification "Document not found - Currently there are no published documents available for this authorised site", there will be different reasons for that:
(a) The verification and publication process is ongoing and 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. We will update this page once the verification and publication process is complete;
(b) Where a site's full permit has been replaced, by consolidation or variation, in some cases at this stage we will only have published the consolidated version and any subsequent authorisation documentation. You may wish to search again at a later point. We will update this page once the verification and publication process is complete;
(c) In limited circumstances there may be legal reasons why the documentation has not been published; or
(d) In limited circumstance, some documentation received or issued before January 2021 may not be published after the verification and publication process is complete. Such documentation can be requested by emailing our access to information service at foi@sepa.org.uk, although it may not be readily available. If that documentation is requested, we will provide the best information we currently have available but cannot confirm it is complete or accurate. Any use made of this information will be at the requester's own risk.
Key Public Register data
Our key Public Register data 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
Where applicable, this includes data on authorised sites, authorisation holder and authorisation number, but does not include authorisation documents themselves.
When visiting our key Public Register data page it may take a few minutes for the full list of authorisations to be visible due to the size of the dataset, please bear with us.
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
Waste carriers' applications are available on request from registry@sepa.org.uk.
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)
- Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) public register of producers and compliance schemes
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.
Available online in 2024
Authorisations in general
We plan to start publishing recently issued authorisation documentation in a phased manner from March 2024 onwards.
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 information not detailed above, for example waste management licences and modification notices.
- Industrial activities (PPC) information not covered above, for example Part B PPC authorisations.
- Water information not covered above, for example waste water treatment licences and variation notices.
Documentation received or issued from January 2021 onwards is available on request from registry@sepa.org.uk.
Documentation received or issued before 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.