What is a Prescribed Process?
The Environmental Protection Act 1990 permits the Secretary of State to make a list of “Prescribed Substances”. These are substances defined within Regulations. If a business operation results in these substances being emitted to air, land or water above a threshold amount, then the business operation is commonly referred to as a Prescribed Process and requires an authorisation to operate from either the local council (if to air only) or the Environment Agency (if only to air above a threshold amount or to land or water or any combination of). The authorisation that is issued allows the operator to emit the prescribed substances but only to a defined limit as permitted within the conditions attached to the authorisation.
