The Environment Agency has asked us to remind producers that 4 yearly reviews and plans that have to be undertaken within four years of an IPPC permit being issued are now due. These are
• water
• raw materials
• waste
• energy
The Agency has drafted 2 factsheets to help producers to undertake their Water and Energy Reviews (see here). The remaining two will follow shortly.
What you need to do
Because many farms are now in the IPPC assurance scheme and will not be due an Agency visit until after the review need to be undertaken, producers will have to submit the above reviews to their local Environment Officer by email, post or by asking them to visit the farm. If a farm is in the Assurance Scheme, the Certification Bodies will check that an operator has produced a review, but they will not check the content.
In addition, there are also another five plans that are due to be reviewed within four years of a permit being issued (if they've not already been updated as a result of an incident or complaint). These are:-
• Accident management plan - e.g. are phone numbers and personnel up to date?
• Site closure plan – details may not have changed;
• Odour management plan - assume OK if no incidents have taken place, otherwise they will have already been reviewed;
• Noise management plan - assume OK if no incidents have taken place, otherwise they will have already been reviewed;
• Manure management plan - ongoing but may not have changed.
What you need to do
Check that all details are still accurate and that any new structures or procedures etc on the farm have been included.
They should be signed and dated as evidence that they've been reviewed - they don't need to be submitted to the Environment officer, as they'll have checked the original content. If a farm is in the Assurance Scheme, the Certification Bodies will check that an operator has reviewed each plan, but the content will be checked by the Environment officer on their next visit (we have already checked the original content.)
What happens next
The Certification Bodies or yourself (depending on who is doing the annual inspection) can then check that these plans have been reviewed.
In addition to this note, the Agency has asked all Environment Officers to remind producers of the need to undertake these reviews.
No comments have been made.