Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018: ​Proposed Standard Conditions for Registration level activities

There are three activities related to petrol service stations that meet the thresholds for the unloading of petrol and petrol refuelling of motor vehicles.

The same set of standard conditions apply to each activity.

Activity description

1. The unloading of petrol into stationary storage tanks at a service station where the total quantity of petrol unloaded into such tanks at the service station in any 12-month period is likely to be equal or greater than 500m3 (500,000 litres); and the refuelling of motor vehicles at an existing service station, if the petrol refuelling throughput is more than 3,000m3 (3,000,000 litres) in any 12-month period.
    
2. The unloading of petrol into stationary storage tanks at a service station where the total quantity of petrol unloaded into such tanks at the service station in any 12-month period is likely to be equal or greater than 500m3 (500 000 litres); and the refuelling of motor vehicles at a new service station, if the petrol refuelling throughput is, or is intended to be, 500m3 (500,000 litres) or more in any 12-month period.
    
3. The unloading of petrol into stationary storage tanks at a service station where the total quantity of petrol unloaded into such tanks at the service station in any 12 month period is likely to be equal or greater than 500m3 (500,000 litres); and the refuelling of motor vehicles at a new service station, if the petrol refuelling throughput is, or is intended to be, 100m3 (100,000 litres) or more in any 12-month period and the service station is under permanent living quarters or working areas.

 Where:

• ‘New service station’ means a service station which is put into operation on or after 1 January 2012, or an existing service station where a significant alteration or renewal of the station infrastructure has been completed on or after 1 January 2012.
   
• ‘Existing service station’ means a service station which was put into operation or for which planning permission was granted on or before 31 December 2011.

Standard conditions

Below is the list of core and activity-specific standard conditions for unloading and refuelling of petrol at service stations.

1. Petrol vapours displaced by the delivery of petrol into storage tanks must be recovered and returned through a vapour-tight connection line to the mobile container delivering the petrol.
    
2. Petrol vapours displaced from the fuel tank of a motor vehicle during refuelling at the Authorised Place must be recovered and transferred to a storage tank at the Authorised Place.
    
3. The petrol vapour capture efficiency of the petrol vapour recovery system for the refuelling of motor vehicles must be equal to or greater than 85% as certified by the manufacturer.
    
4. The storage tank for the recovered petrol vapour from refuelling motor vehicles must have a vapour/petrol ratio equal to, or greater than, 0.95 but less than, or equal to, 1.05.
    
5. The vapour/petrol ratio at the storage tank for recovered petrol vapour from refuelling motor vehicles must be checked annually under simulated petrol flow conditions or using other appropriate methodology.
    
6. Where an automated monitoring system has been installed for the refuelling of motor vehicles petrol vapour recovery system, it must:
   
   a. test the petrol vapour capture efficiency every three years;
   
   b. automatically detect faults in both the refuelling of motor vehicles petrol vapour recovery system and in the automatic monitoring system itself;
   
   c. indicate faults to the service station operator; and
   
   d. automatically stop the flow of petrol from the faulty dispenser if the fault is not rectified within seven days.
    
7. There must be a sign, sticker or other notification placed on or in the vicinity of the petrol dispenser informing customers that a refuelling of motor vehicles petrol vapour recovery system has been installed.
    
8. Measures must be taken to prevent, or where that is not practicable, minimise odour from the authorised activities.
    
9. Offensive odours as perceived by a SEPA officer must not be emitted from the authorised activities.
    
10. SEPA must be notified via its pollution hotline contact telephone number as soon as reasonably practicable, and in any case within 24 hours of identification of an event, of any of the following:
    
    a. an event that has caused or could cause adverse impact to the environment or harm to human health;
    
    b. an event that results, or could result, in an emission to the environment that is not authorised; and
    
    c. an event that has caused a breach of a condition of this authorisation.
    
    In this condition, the meaning of ‘event’ is as defined in the Interpretation of Terms of this authorisation.
     
11. All measures that are reasonably practicable must be taken to stop an event and to minimise its effect on the environment.
     
12. Within 14 days of an event a report must be submitted to SEPA detailing:
    
    a. the reason(s) for the event;
    
    b. the action(s) taken to stop the event and minimise the impacts; and
    
    c. the action(s) taken to prevent the event from reoccurring.
     
13. All information recorded, kept or submitted to SEPA in accordance with a condition of this authorisation must be:
    
    a. true and accurate; and
    
    b. kept for a minimum of six years; and
    
    c. provided to SEPA upon request.