We recognise that as a society, we are over-using our planet’s resources, and if everyone lived as we do in Scotland, we would need three planets to sustain ourselves. In the 21st century, only those businesses, societies and nations which have developed ways to prosper within the planet’s...More
This consultation is in two parts. This part of the consultation seeks your views on supporting guidance. Please read the related documents at the bottom of this page before responding to the online survey below.
If you would like to comment on the other part on the draft regulations,...More
This consultation is in two parts. This part of the consultation seeks your views on the draft regulations. Please read the related documents at the bottom of this page before responding to the online survey below.
If you would like to comment on the other part on the supporting guidance,...More
This consultation seeks your views on charges in 2018/19 and beyond for the work undertaken by SEPA for the Reservoirs (Scotland) Act 2011 and the Reservoirs (Scotland) Regulations 2016 and how we intend to review these charges in 2018. More
SEPA routinely assesses the environmental performance of the operators that we regulate. One of our main duties is to determine how well an operator is complying with their environmental obligations. We call this process ‘Compliance Assessment’ and we determine this by using rules set out...More
This consultation is closed. It presented the details of the planned changes outlined in the 2015 Charging Scheme consultation (2015 Consultation) to further develop the Environmental Regulation (Scotland) Charging Scheme 2016 (the Scheme) which came into force on 1 April 2016. The revised...More
Globally, our oceans are under stress. This was powerfully emphasised at the recent United Nations Ocean Conference in New York. One of the many pressures on our marine environment is the harvesting of wild fish stocks. Aquaculture, including caged fish farming, represents one way to reduce this...More
This concerns all companies that have an interest in the use of gypsum for agricultural and ecological improvement. SEPA is planning to provide new guidance on the use of gypsum on land, but wishes to consult first to understand the impacts on business. More
This is a Scottish Government consultation that sets out proposals for a new integrated environmental authorisation framework for SEPA. The new framework plans to bring together the authorisation, procedural and enforcement arrangements for existing environmental protection regimes relating to...More
SEPA believes that there is scope for restoration projects in quarries utilising waste to be licensed as recovery operations. This consultation seeks views on the proposed factors that would be used to help make a determination on whether an operation would be seen as recovery or disposal.
...More
The construction of new infrastructure, commercial and residential property is important for the continued sustainable economic growth of Scotland.
When construction sites are not managed properly during the construction phase of a development this may lead to pollution of the water...More
Variable Monetary Penalties (VMPs) are a new enforcement measure made available to SEPA under the Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 through which fines up to £40,000 can be imposed for certain environmental offences.
The aim of VMPs is to help address a compliance gap that exists between...More
Reuse is increasingly recognised as an important activity which can extend the life of products, reduce extraction of virgin resources, reduce environmental impacts of waste management, keep value in the economy, create employment and provide products for low income households.
We are...More
SEPA is consulting on our proposed new ' Guidance on monitoring for heterogeneous Radium-226 sources resulting from historic luminising or waste disposal sites '.
We have produced this guidance to aid Local Authorities and contractors in undertaking what SEPA considers to be current best...More
SEPA is consulting on our proposed new guidance
SEPA’s requirements for activities related to geothermal energy
The extraction of geothermal energy can involve a number of activities which are regulated by SEPA under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations...More
SEPA is consulting on our proposed new guidance
CAR Licences for Deep Boreholes - Information Requirements
The guidance is directed at anybody planning to drill and operate a deep borehole in Scotland. It is designed to help them with their application by setting out the minimum...More
Consultation on proposed new guidance on Food Waste Management in Scotland and review of SEPA’s end-of-waste regulatory positions for compost and anaerobic digestate.
SEPA is seeking responses to our consultation on guidance which sets out obligations along the chain of food waste management...More
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), the Environment Agency (EA) and Natural Resources Wales (NRW), together referred to as “the environment agencies”, are consulting on our proposed new guidance on “Requirements for Release of Nuclear Sites from Radioactive Substances...More
This consultation provides an opportunity for you to give your views on SEPA’s proposed approach to financial provision for waste management sites. We are proposing to change the way in which we calculate financial liability for waste management sites and how we require applicants to...More
The purpose of this consultation is to seek your views on proposed improvements to the Compliance Assessment Scheme (CAS) used by SEPA and to reflect your feedback where possible in the revised scheme.
Please note that the implementation date has changed to 1 January 2017.
As...More
This consultation provides an opportunity for you to give your views on SEPA’s revised enforcement policy and new guidance on enforcement. Stakeholder views are important to us and we would welcome your comments on these important documents.
The Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014...More
This consutation provides an opportunity for you to give your views on SEPA’s proposed new charging scheme. Stakeholder views are important to us and we would welcome your comments on this important issue. Your input will influence how we develop the scheme before submitting it to Scottish...More
When fully implemented, the Reservoirs (Scotland) Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’) will transfer responsibility for the regulation of reservoir safety in Scotland from the existing 32 Scottish local authorities to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).
Historically,...More
Working together to protect and improve our water environment.
Scotland’s water environment is one of our greatest natural assets providing many ecosystem services which support our health, wellbeing, wildlife and the sustainable growth of our economy. Our vision is one where...More
Working together to protect and improve our water environment
River basin management is about protecting and improving our rivers, lakes, estuaries, coastal waters and groundwater. Getting it right is important to ensure we can all enjoy the many benefits – the ecosystems services...More
Working together to protect and improve our water environment.
Scotland’s water environment is one of our greatest natural assets providing many ecosystem services which support our health, wellbeing, wildlife and the sustainable growth of our economy. Our vision is one where...More
This is Scotland’s first national water scarcity plan, setting out how water resources will be managed prior to and during periods of prolonged dry weather. This is to ensure the correct balance is struck between protecting the environment and providing resource for human and economic...More
This consultation provides you with the opportunity to contribute to the development of new approaches to address the significant water management challenges in the Scotland river basin district. It also describes the condition of the water environment and progress towards achievement of...More
This public consultation provides you with the opportunity to contribute to the development of new approaches for the water management challenges for the Solway Tweed river basin district. It is set in the context of an update on the condition of the water environment and our progress on...More
What is this consultation about?
This consultation:
outlines the timetable and work programme for the development of the second river basin management plan in 2015;
highlights the opportunities and structures/groups in place to enable you to influence the development of second...More