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Some of our authorisations require that environmental monitoring is carried out and the results reported back to SEPA. We call this operator monitoring. Why use operator monitoring? We expect all regulated operators to comply with their environmental obligations. This is a key element of Our Approach to Regulation. We also expect those operators to be responsible for managing and understanding the

Scotland is making progress towards its waste targets by transforming residual waste into energy. Residual waste – waste which cannot be reused, recycled or recovered – forms the lowest aspect of the waste hierarchy and is normally destined for landfill. However, new technologies are being developed to allow the incineration of residual waste to produce electricity and heat by energy from waste (E

SEPA and hydropower applications, including what applicants need to do when applying. Hydropower  We support the development of hydropower in Scotland, while aiming to strike an appropriate balance between these schemes and protecting the water environment and its users. Hydropower developments in Scotland are regulated by the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 more commonly known as CAR regulations – and their amendments. If you are developing a

Fish farms need a range of medicines and products containing chemicals, such as disinfectants and antifoulants to ensure the health and welfare of the fish they grow and to maintain and protect the farm infrastructure and equipment (e.g. pens and boats). The medicines and products used on fish farms are approved and regulated through chemicals legislation (e.g. Biocidal Products Regulations) or ve

Water Column Monitoring Please note: the manual is currently being updated and links have been supplied for revised documents only. If you require a copy of a document that is not available below please email aquaculture@sepa.org.uk. This manual has been produced to provide SEPA staff with detailed guidance on the legislation, policy and procedures which should be considered when regulating Scotla

Forms and information Reservoir (Scotland) Act 2011 blank registration form All new reservoirs, and any reservoirs regulated under the Reservoirs Act 1975 are required to be registered with SEPA. To register  your reservoir with SEPA please use the registration form. Ceasing to be a reservoir manager If you cease to be the manager of a registered controlled reservoir, you are required to notify u

Scotland’s emergency air pollution response service, the Airborne hazards emergency response (AHER) service, is led by us. The explosion and major fire at the Hertfordshire Oil Storage Terminal in 2005 (known as the Buncefield incident highlighted the need for an emergency service that would provide co-ordinated data and advice on airborne hazards during large scale incidents.  In Scotland, we are

Data returns Many environmental licences include a requirement to submit data returns or other reporting requirements on an annual or quarterly basis.   What should you do? We are now actively reviewing many of the data returns and kindly request you to submit any outstanding returns for the following areas: Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory (SPRI) SPRI returns for the 2023 calendar year are du

Links Acronyms and abbreviations Glossary  of terms European Waste Catalogue – for coding waste NACE and SIC codes Recovery and Disposal codes*   Scottish Government guidance on applying the waste hierarchy Nomenclature of Units for Territorial Statistics (NUTS) areas  (14kb) Waste strategy areas   (86kb) *Recovery and Disposal codes Waste management activities are classed as recovery (R) or dis

Legislation directs SEPA to assess and classify each shellfish protected area. To deliver this we work closely with Food Standards Scotland (FSS). FSS sample, analyse and report water quality in production areas throughout the year to ensure shellfish are safe for consumption, or determine if they require further treatment. At the end of each year FSS provide SEPA with this data who use it to clas