Compliance Monitoring under Integrated Pollution Control
In the perspective of authorization of a process under the Integrated Pollution Control framework, ‘ compliance monitoring’ involves the measurement and recording of those aspects of a process that are subject to limitation or conditions for attainment of designated environmental standards.
The data of release into the environment is provided for the period over which the limit is expressed. Spot sample or measurement is taken for ‘instantaneous’ limit. In case the limit is an average concentration expressed over 24 hours, then a 24 hour sample or measurement is taken. When environmental compliance under a load limit is monitored, then in addition a measure of the traffic flow will be required over the period or time limit the sample is taken.
The burden is on the operators of the respective processes to monitor their releases and discharges and preserve the results of monitoring for inspection and to convey the key results such exercise to Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Pollution (HMIP) for inclusion on the public registers. In this connection the operators must use the best available techniques for monitoring, which according to HMIP is on line in process control instrumentation linked to computer data storage systems wherever practical without excessive cost.
As regulator HMIP is required to check and ensure that the recording systems are tamper proof and reliable. In addition, confirmatory checks of emissions and discharges are carried out by HMIP the results of which are compared with the operator’s measuring reports. The accent is on better quality of data to the public on releases into the environment.
