Does your surface treatment business require a PPC permit?

Your business may require a pollution prevention and control (PPC) permit from your environmental regulator or local council. For example, you will need a permit if your business has a production capacity above a certain level or if you use certain hazardous substances.

If your business is an installation or mobile plant you will need a pollution prevention and control (PPC) permit from your environmental regulator.

An installation is a stationary technical unit, such as a self-contained building, permanent structure or fixed plant, used for listed activities.

A mobile plant is plant that can be moved and is used for listed activities.

Listed activities

These are industrial, waste or intensive farming activities that have an impact on the environment and are listed in the PPC regulations. They are split into categories:

  • Part A, B and C in Northern Ireland
  • Part A and B in Scotland

Listed activities that might be carried out by surface treatment businesses include:

Permit Categories

Listed activity

Northern Ireland

Scotland

carrying out surface treatment works using an electrolytic or chemical activity, where the combined volume of the treatment vats is more than 30m3

Part A

Part A

surface treating substances, objects or products using organic solvents in a plant with a consumption capacity of more than 150kg per hour or more than 200 tonnes per year

Part A

Part A
     

undertaking any surface treatment of metal that may release any acid-forming oxide of nitrogen into the air and which does not fall within Part A of the PPC regime

Part B

Part B

heating metal to remove any non-metallic contaminant in furnaces or appliances which have a combined rated thermal input of 0.2 megawatts or more

Part C

Part B

carrying out any of the following activities in any 12-month period:
- using 20 tonnes or more of any paint or other coating material which is applied in a solid form
- using 20 tonnes or more of any metal coatings which are sprayed on in molten form
- using five tonnes or more of organic solvent
- repainting or respraying road vehicles or parts of road vehicles and using two tonnes or more of organic solvent

Part C

Part B

any surface cleaning activity using one tonne or more per year of a volatile organic compound (VOC) classified as a carcinogen, mutagen or toxic to reproduction (with Risk Phrases R45, R46, R49, R60 or R61) and any halogenated VOCs with possible irreversible effects (Risk Phrase R40)

Part C

Part B

any surface cleaning activity using two tonnes or more per year of any other VOC.

Part C

Part B

400 tonnes or more of paint or other coating material which is applied in solid form

Part B

N/A

400 tonnes or more of any metal coating which is sprayed on in molten form

Part B

N/A

20 tonnes or more of paint or other coating material which is applied in solid form

Part C

Part B

20 tonnes or more of any metal coating which is sprayed on in molten form

Part C

Part B

What you must do

If your installation or mobile plant carries out listed activities you will need a permit from your environmental regulator.

Permits and regulators for listed activities

Activity category

Northern Ireland

Scotland

Part A

PPC permit regulated by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA)

PPC permit regulated by SEPA

Part B

PPC permit regulated the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA)

PPC permit regulated by SEPA

Part C

PPC permit regulated by local council

N/A

This guidance does not provide a complete list of PPC activities. If you are unsure whether you are affected by PPC contact your environmental regulator or, in Northern Ireland, your local council.

Contact your environmental regulator

You should contact your environmental regulator or local council for further information about listed activities. NetRegs does not provide detailed guidance on Part A activities.

If you are unsure whether you are affected by PPC, contact your environmental regulator or local council.

Contact your environmental regulator

Contact your local council

How to apply for a permit

NIEA: Apply online

SEPA: Application forms

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