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The Hertfordshire Oil Storage Terminal fire in 2005, also known as the Buncefield incident, highlighted the need for a specialised unit to coordinate the response to such air pollution events. This led to the creation of the Air Quality Cell (AQC) for England and Wales followed by the Airborne Hazard Emergency Response (AHER) in Scotland. During major incidents it is AHER that ensures a comprehens

The management and remediation of contaminated land that, in its current state, is causing or has the potential to cause significant harm or significant pollution of the water environment, is regulated by legislation contained within the Environmental Protection Act (1990) known as Part IIA. We have certain responsibilities within the scope of this legislation to regulate activities and assist in the management and remediation of contaminated land. Contaminated land can present significant threats to the environment and risks to users of the land. Land can become contaminated by a variety of substances, from heavy metals to agricultural waste. The environmental, financial and legal implications of this can be substantial. The management and remediation of contaminated land that, in its current state, is causing or has the potential to cause

Scotland’s soils are an important natural resource providing a wide range of benefits for people, the environment and the economy. It is essential to protect soils to ensure they are able to continue to provide these benefits for future generations. Why are soils important? Soils are a vital natural resource as they carry out a wide range of essential functions, such as growing food and timber, co

We are continually working to develop and improve our knowledge on flood risk and flooding impacts and to identify new technologies to better support our flooding work. As the strategic flood risk management authority in Scotland we are continually working to develop and improve our knowledge of the sources and impacts of flooding. We have developed a knowledge base of methods, guidance and summaries that may be useful to responsible authorities, academic projects and consultants delivering flood risk management projects, which can be accessed below. National Flo

Frequently asked questions Why is a sea lice framework needed? Populations of wild Atlantic salmon have been in serious decline in recent decades and are now at crisis point. The pattern of decline is repeated across the salmon’s North Atlantic range and is likely caused, at least in part, by the effect of climate change on the survival of salmon during their time at sea. To build resilience of Sc

The majority of dams will require an authorisation from SEPA under "The Water Environment (Controlled Activities)(Scotland) Regulations 2011 (CAR). This authorisation number will start CAR/.../... If you don't have a CAR authorisation for your dam, then you should contact your local SEPA team to discuss this. You can find more advice on impoundments and water resources authorisations. Reservoir sa