Operator monitoring assessment scheme

Citation

(2001), "Operator monitoring assessment scheme", Pigment & Resin Technology, Vol. 30 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/prt.2001.12930dab.001

Operator monitoring assessment scheme

Operator monitoring assessment schemeKeywords Environment Agency, United Kingdom, Pollution, Monitoring

The UK's Environment Agency recently announced the development of a new scheme that will improve the monitoring undertaken by industrial process operators.

The Operator Monitoring Assessment (OMA) scheme being developed by the Agency will provide a consistent and transparent approach to auditing the quality and reliability of self-monitoring carried out by operators.

The Agency's strategy, published for consultation, is to place greater reliance on self-monitoring by operators. To maintain confidence in the quality of monitoring, the Agency proposes to strengthen its auditing procedures through the OMA scheme.

The Agency commissions a proportionate amount of its own independent monitoring to provide checks on operators' results and compliance with authorised limits. OMA will be used to help prioritise and target this check-monitoring programme. Importantly, OMA will be used to identify necessary monitoring improvements.

Environment Agency Director of Environment Protection Dr Paul Leinster said:

The Agency is working with industry to improve monitoring data, which should lead to a reduction of emissions to the environment.

The Agency will use the OMA scheme to assess how well the operator undertakes its monitoring. The assessments will be used to indicate where monitoring improvements can be made and to help prioritise the Agency's independent monitoring.

OMA audits will identify operators with good self-monitoring regimes and also pinpoint those who need to improve to meet Agency requirements.

The scheme is being designed, in the first place, for emissions to air from industrial processes regulated under Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) and Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) and is scheduled for implementation during 2001. It is intended to extend the principles of the scheme to other monitoring applications later.

The consultation document can be downloaded from the Agency Web site – www.environment-agency.gov.uk/consultations or be obtained by contacting the following address: Environment Agency National Compliance Assessment Service, Cameron House, White Cross Industrial Estate, South Road, Lancaster LA1 4XQ. Tel: +44 (0)1524 842704; Fax: +44 (0) 1524 581908.

Comments are invited on the OMA scheme and its application.

Details available from the UK Environment Agency. Tel: +44 (0)20 7863 8710; Fax: +44 (0)20 7863 8655; Web site: www.environment-agency.gov.uk