Air Quality Strategy
The Environment Act, 1995, required the Secretary of State to produce a National Air Quality Strategy to provide a framework for air quality control.
The National Air Quality Strategy (NAQS) was first published in 1997.
The strategy proposed new national air quality standards and objectives for major pollutants following recommendations from the Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards (EPAQS).
The latest version of the Air Quality Strategy was published in July 2007.
Air Quality objectives are based on Air Quality standards set by the Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards (EPAQS) and are the maximum acceptable level of an air pollutant that will not present a risk to the health of the most susceptible groups of the population. Where EPAQS has not yet made a recommendation, the air quality standard has been derived from the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendation. The air quality objectives include a date by which the standards must be achieved. The length of time to achieve the standard for each pollutant takes into account the costs to industry, the expected rate of improvements in available technology and the health effects on the country's population.
Council Review and Assessment of Air Quality
The air quality standards and objectives were given statutory force under the Air Quality Regulations, 1997. The Regulations set Air Quality objectives for seven pollutants that Councils are responsible for reviewing under the Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) process. These pollutants are benzene, 1,3 butadiene, carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter (PM10) and sulphur dioxide.
As part of the LAQM process Councils are required to undertake a review and assessment of air quality within their areas and consider, in respect of each objective, the present and likely future air quality. Councils have a legal duty to work towards achieving these objectives, but do not have a legal duty to meet the objectives.
The review and assessment process lays down a timetable for the production of reports which are submitted to the Scottish Government and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA). Where these reports identify that an air quality objective is being breached the Council is required to declare an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA). The Council is then required to produce and implement an Action Plan that aims to reduce concentrations of the pollutant so that the objectives are met.
To date 242 Councils in the UK (12 in Scotland) have declared AQMAs, over 95% of these have been declared in relation to emissions from road traffic. Falkirk Council has declared four AQMAs, one in the Grangemouth area, two in Falkirk Town Centre and one in Haggs. The Grangemouth AQMA was declared for a breach of the 15-minute sulphur dioxide (SO2) objective in relation to industrial emissions. The AQMAs in Falkirk Town Centre and Haggs were declared for nitrogen dioxide in relation to road traffic. For information on these please see the Air Quality Management Areas| page.
The most recent air quality reports are: