Integrated Pollution Prevention & Control (IPPC) is a new way of controlling pollution from certain prescribed industrial processes. In UK law, this is enacted by the Pollution Prevention & Control Act 1999 and the Pollution Prevention & Control Regulations 2000. This legislation is gradually replacing a similar regime introduced in the early 1990’s under the Environmental Protection Act.

This legislation is jointly enforced by Local Authority Environmental Health departments and by the Environment Agency. Processes are categorised as Part A1, Part A2, and Part B. The Environment Agency are the enforcement body for A1 processes, Local Authorities handle Part A2 and Part B installations.

The intention of Integrated Pollution Prevention & Control is to impose stricter controls such that emissions and other environmental effects are considered together. Permits issued to Part B processes will only deal with emissions to air, but permits issued to A1 or A2 processes control emissions to all environmental media – land, air and water. IPPC also builds on previous regulatory controls by adding.

• Environmental Accident Prevention
• Noise
• Energy (as heat)
• Land Contamination.

Processes controlled by Local Authorities include vehicle respraying, coating manufacture, cement batching, dry cleaning and the unloading of petrol at service stations.

The Environment Agency issue permits to chemical manufacturers, the energy generating sector and certain intensive farming units amongst many other industrial sectors.

IPPC permits contain a number of conditions, the purpose of which is to control the way in which the process operates and to set emission standards or pollution levels. We inspect these processes routinely, and breaching the conditions we set may lead to enforcement action and prosecution.

Enquiries about A1 processes should be directed to the Environment Agency, telephone number 08708 506506. Issues relating to Part A1 and Part B processes should be forwarded to Mid Suffolk Environmental Health department, via Contact Customer Services Direct on 0845 6066067

Further details of how these controls work and which types of processes are covered can be found by visiting the Environment Agency website and that of the Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs.

Register of Permitted Part B Processes  (PDF 24 Kb). Here you may view the register of processes currently issued with IPPC permits by Mid Suffolk District Council