System for assessing pollution risk

Citation

(1998), "System for assessing pollution risk", Pigment & Resin Technology, Vol. 27 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/prt.1998.12927aab.013

System for assessing pollution risk

System for assessing pollution risk

A new system for assessing the pollution risk from major industrial processes has been launched by the Environment Agency.

Operator and Pollution Risk Appraisal (OPRA) is based on an analysis of the inherent level of environmental risk involved in a particular industrial process and the performance of the operator in managing that risk. It provides Agency inspectors with a simple, objective and consistent assessment of the environmental risk from Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) regulated processes in England and Wales.

The Environment Agency's Director of Environmental Protection, Dr David Slater, said: "OPRA will help the Agency to optimize resources by targeting regulatory effort to the higher risk processes. The results will be used in annual work planning to set target inspection frequencies for sites. This does not, however, mean that the lower risk sites will be forgotten as a minimum inspection rate will be set.

"OPRA will also help operators to identify where the most effective improvements can be made by highlighting the major factors contributing to the environmental risk of a particular process.

One of the Agency's predecessor bodies, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution (HMIP), published a consultation document on the proposed OPRA system in April 1995, in parallel with field trials. The proposed system received wide support from industry.

Key features of the new system, which incorporates comments raised during this consultation, are as follows:

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  improved guidance on evaluating attributes of the operator's performance (for example maintenance, training and operation) and the process pollution risk (for example the presence of hazardous materials, scale and frequency of hazardous operations).

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  a more systematic method for evaluating process pollution risk based on selecting a representative hazardous substance for the process. The selected substance will be the one with the highest environmental risk. The Inspector must also, however, consider the other substances used on a site during the assessment.

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  the attainment of certified environmental management systems (ISO14001 and EMAS) is recognised, but a high overall operator performance rating depends on direct evidence of, for example, good maintenance and operation.

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  the pollution risk appraisal considers both the real risk of harm to the environment arising from hazardous chemicals, and the perceived risk from the process due to offensive characteristics such as visible or odorous emissions.

"This risk appraisal method may also have other applications. The Agency is considering extending the OPRA concept to other areas of the Agency's Environmental Protection functions such as waste regulation", David Slater concluded.

Copies of Operator and Pollution Risk Appraisal are available free of charge by contacting Heidi Rimmer, Environment Agency, Kingfisher House, Goldhay Way, Orton Goldhay, Peterborough PE2 5ZR. Tel: 01733 371811; Fax: 01733 464472.