Scottish Environmental Protection Agency
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The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is Scotland’s environmental regulator. Its main role is to protect and improve Scotland's environment.
SEPA does this by helping business and industry to understand their environmental responsibilities, enabling customers to comply with legislation and good practice and to realise the many economic benefits of good environmental practice. One of the ways SEPA does this is through the NetRegs environmental guidance service.
It protects communities by regulating activities that can cause harmful pollution and by monitoring the quality of Scotland's air, land and water. The regulations it implements also cover the storage, transport and disposal of radioactive materials.
SEPA is a non-departmental public body (NDPB), accountable, through Scottish Ministers, to the Scottish Parliament. SEPA was established in 1996.
SEPA is a quango or a quasi nongovernmental organisation; an organization that is financed by the government yet acts independently of the government.
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Mission
To be an excellent environmental regulator and an effective and influential authority on the environment.
Aims
SEPA provides a system of environmental protection for Scotland that aims to improve the environment and help deliver the Scottish Government’s overall environmental objectives.
So that it can effectively achieve its mission and aims, SEPA has created a Corporate Plan which lists its priorities and goals.
Activities and Outcomes
Flood Warning:
SEPA operates the 24/7 Floodline flood warning service in Scotland.
SEPA operates Scotland's flood warning service. This is a 24 hour, 7 day a week, passive information service which includes online flood warnings as well as regular flooding updates available from their dedicated telephone number.
As the name suggests, the Floodline service is designed to give the public early warning of likely flooding in specific areas. The service also gives advice on what to do before, during and after a flood. The Environment Agency operates the Floodline service for England and Wales.
SEPA is also developing a national, active, integrated flood warning dissemination (FWD) service for Scotland and this is due to be operational by spring 2011. This will extend the current service to include sending flood event information direct to registered customers as part of an active warning service.
Air Quality:
In order to protect Scotland's air quality, SEPA regulates and monitors industrial activities and processes in Scotland that may lead to local airborne pollution. In order to do this effectively, SEPA work closely with local authorities and other partners to manage and improve air quality locally."
SEPA regulates and monitors air pollution across Scotland.
There are many things which can negatively affect good air quality such as, vehicle and transport emissions, energy production, some industrial processes, waste and agriculture. The emissions that are produced by these activities can significantly damage air quality which can lead to health problems, depletion of the ozone layer and changes to other natural habitats.
The overall picture in Scotland is one of good air quality which has been getting better over the last 30 years or so, particularly in urban areas. But the picture is not perfect. There are some localised problems in Scottish towns, mainly caused by traffic emissions. ... Scotland’s carbon dioxide emissions are contributing to global climate changes which are likely to have significant long term environmental impacts.
SEPA and the Scottish Government work in partnership with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to ensure the objectives that are listed in the Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are achieved.
Live information on the quality of Scotland's air can be found on the Air Quality in Scotland Database (SAQD). The SAQ database and website were commissioned by the Scottish Government. Launched in April 2007, SAQD was set up to provide a single source of air quality information for Scotland that would improve research quality to support and evaluate Scotland’s air quality policies whilst also providing the public with more easily understood and accessible local air quality information.
Climate Change:
Climate change awareness by country 2008-2009.
SEPA's position on climate change recognises that it is the greatest threat to our physical and socio-economic future. The organisation has produced a climate change plan which contains details about how SEPA will reduce its own carbon emissions. This five year climate change plan introduces SEPA's specific role in climate change mitigation and what they will do over the next five years to further integrate climate change across the organization.
In Scotland, the effects of climate change can supposedly be seen in raised temperature changes, increased rainfall and less snow cover.
It is believed that these changes have a significant impact on the growing, breeding and migration seasons, as well as species abundance and diversity.
Land Quality:
SEPA aims to protect and enhance the quality of Scotland’s land through provision of guidance on good land use practice and a variety of regulatory measures.
Planning:
SEPA is identified as a key agency under the Planning (Scotland) Act 2006 and help deliver the Scottish Government's commitment in providing a more effective and efficient planning system. SEPA also provide formal environmental advice in relation to development plans and on various development proposals across Scotland. SEPA attempts to enable good development whilst also and protecting Scotland's environment through the planning system and takes a consultative approach where they can add most value. The agency tends to favour early engagement with planning authorities to ensure they can support development plan proposals and aid the implementation of a genuinely plan-led land use planning system.
There exists a guidance note "How and when to consult SEPA" that provides further information on planning consultation with SEPA.
Radioactive substances:
SEPA regulates radioactive substances to protect the environment and human health from potential and actual contamination.
Radioactive substances are used widely in industry, medicine and research in Scotland. Uses can range greatly from the diagnosis and treatment of diseases to its use in energy generation and nuclear weapons. However, if radioactive substances are not stored or used properly, they can potentially cause significant human health problems and damage to the environment.
As SEPA has a responsibility for protecting Scotland's environment and human health, it also has responsibility for regulating the storage, and use of, radioactive substances and the accumulation and disposal of radioactive wastes in Scotland. The State of Scotland's Environment 2006 Report showed a downward trend in levels of man-made radioactivity in the environment over the last decade.
Waste:
One of the best ways to minimise the negative effects of waste are through waste minimisation and prevention. However, waste can also be put to good use through reuse, recycling, composting and thermal treatment.
Another one of SEPA's statutory duties is to protect the environment and human health in Scotland from the effects of waste management and disposal. SEPA reports on waste data and is also involved in enforcing European compliance schemes.
Water Quality:
SEPA regulates and protects Scotland's water environment.
Scotland’s water environments provide rich sources of drinking water, provide natural habitats, are a focus for leisure and recreation activities and are vital resources for many of Scotland's industries. SEPA helps protect and improve Scotland’s water environment through regulation, monitoring and planning.
As mentioned above, SEPA is the flood warning authority for Scotland and they work with other organisations to manage flood risk. SEPA's hydrologists monitor these water levels so that they can warn the public and businesses of the likelihood of a flood.
SEPA provides annual reports on the quality of Scotland’s bathing waters. Complying with the European Community (EC) Bathing Water Directive, they also work closely with other organisations to reduce the risk of urban and rural pollution in Scotland's coastal and inland bathing waters.
SEPA regulates other water activities such as discharges to groundwater, discharges to surface water, abstractions, removal of sediments and replacement of weirs.
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