Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018: Proposed Standard Conditions for Registration level activities
3.2.5. Manufacturing of wood products
This activity applies to wood manufacturing plants e.g. sawmills, furniture manufacturers, timber frame manufacturers.
Activity description
The manufacturing of wood products at a works with a throughput in any 12-month period that is likely to exceed:
a. 10,000 m³ where wood is only sawn; or
b. 1,000 m³ where wood is sawed and/or drilled, sanded, shaped, turned, planed, shredded, cured or chemically treated.
Standard conditions
Below is the list of core and activity-specific standard conditions for manufacturing of wood products.
- All reasonable steps must be taken to minimise emissions during start-up and shut-down of the process.
- Wood dust and wood particle emissions must be minimised by:
a. containment of dusty processes; and
b. local air extraction equipment;
which is vented to suitable, fully functional arrestment equipment.
- The transportation and handling of wood particles must be carried out using pneumatic or enclosed handling systems.
- An alarm system must be provided and maintained in order to provide visual and/or audible notification when arrestment equipment fails or malfunctions.
- All releases to the air from the authorised activities, other than condensed water vapour, during normal operations must be free from visible emissions.
- Measures must be taken to prevent, or where that is not practicable, minimise:
a. dust; and
b. heat emissions
from the authorised activities.
- Dust from the authorised activities, which has a significant impact on the environment, people or property, must not be emitted beyond the boundary of the Authorised Place.
- 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.
- All measures that are reasonably practicable must be taken to stop an event and to minimise its effect on the environment.
- 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.
- All information recorded, kept or submitted to SEPA in accordance with a condition of this authorisation must be:
a. true and accurate;
b. kept for a minimum of six years; and
c. provided to SEPA upon request.
Interpretation of terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Arrestment equipment | Equipment used to mitigate the effects of emissions. |
| Dust | Suspended solid particles and liquid droplets suspended in air which may be deposited on surfaces and may cause air pollution and/or nuisance. |
| Environmental harm |
|
| Event |
|
| Normal operation | Operation of authorised activities excluding start-up and shut-down periods. |
| Wood | Includes any product consisting wholly or mainly or wood. |
| Wood particles | Includes wood shavings, wood powder, wood dust, wood chips and sawdust and composite materials such as chipboard and medium density fibreboard. |
Rationale
As the main emission from wood manufacturing is dust, the standard conditions predominantly relate to dust control measures. If you already have a permit for this activity, you will notice that the standard conditions proposed here are broadly similar, except for the requirement to minimise heat emissions, which ties into one of the general aims of EASR – namely to use resources in a sustainable way.