Defra Reviewing Air Pollution Guidance for Large Manufacturers

Defra are reviewing the air pollution guidance note relating to the manufacturers of timber and wood based products. The review relates to Process Guidance Note 6/02, and has been called in order to clarify any issues arising from the previous note.

The note was published in 2004 and is one of a series of statutory notes issued by Defra which are aimed at providing a strong framework for the regulation of installations covered by the statutory Local Air Pollution Prevention and Control (LAPPC) regime in the UK. The guidance covers businesses with large manufacturing facilities, with the processes covered in the note ranging from cutting sawn logs in a sawmill to the manufacture of furniture. It refers specifically to the manufacture of products wholly or mainly of wood at any works if the process involves the sawing, drilling, sanding, shaping, turning of wood and the throughput of the works in any 12 month period is likely to exceed;

• 10,000 cubic metres , in the case of works at which wood is sawn but at which wood is not subjected to any other relevant process or is subjected only to relevant processes which are exempt processes; or
• 1,000 cubic metres in any other case.

Composite materials such as chipboard or MDF, which are composed mainly of wood, are included in the note. On Tuesday 11 January 2011 the Technical Working Group (TWG which was formed of operators, regulators and representatives of Trade Associations, met to review the guidance. This first stage of the review process is being undertaken on behalf of DEFRA by the Local Authority Unit of the Environment Agency.

The first step is to produce a draft which will be reviewed by the TWG. A second draft will be circulated more widely by DEFRA prior to the amended version of the note being published. BWF Members will have the opportunity to review drafts and submit comments at each stage.