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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

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 are due by the 28th of February e

Information regarding activities that may be exempt from waste management licensing, and the statutory controls to prevent environmental pollution and harm to human health From the 1st November 2025, you will no longer be able to apply for the exemptions listed on this page. The information on this page remains to help existing exemption holders comply with their legal obligations, before transitioning to the new Environmental Authorisation (Scotland) Regulation (EASR) framework for authorisations. To find out what authorisation you will need when your exemption exp

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 on our Enviro