Environment Report 2018

ENVIRONMENT REPORT 2018

Brexit The Environment and External Affairs teams have been monitoring and engaging with government to represent industry’s views on the potential impacts of a 'no-deal' Brexit scenario. A response to the Brexit White Paper has been provided and the Technical Notes for a no-deal scenario have also been reviewed. This period is a challenging time for industry as EU consultations continue which may influence the environmental management practices of the UKCS post-Brexit. To ensure the best outcome for the UKCS in either Brexit scenario, Oil & Gas UK continues to liaise with the EU and via IOGP on applicable consultations. Energy Transition It is recognised that while there will be a transition to renewable energy sources over the coming years, indigenous oil and gas production will still be required to support the UK’s energy needs. Support and adherence to new emission reduction strategies is therefore required to ensure the Government’s targets can be achieved. For example, in May 2018, the UK Government published the Clean Air Strategy which sets out the principles to improve the country’s air quality. Atmospheric emissions associated with the offshore oil and gas industry are already heavily regulated with additional legislation continuing to be developed. The implementation of the Large Combustion Plant (LCP) Best Available Techniques (BAT) continues with the sampling of qualifying equipment, and consultation on Phase IV of EU ETS continues. Oil Spill Response During 2018 the Oil Spill Response Forum has completed a multi-stakeholder project: the shoreline response plan database. Phase one of this project has created a shared resource that maps existing shoreline response plans developed by operators, local authorities and harbour authorities in the event of an oil spill, and details how to find the information on resources, equipment and habitats. Phase two looks to enhance this database, filling in the gaps and centralising access to the resources. Oil & Gas UK has represented industry at regulator facilitated workshops on ‘Oil Spill Waste Management’ and ‘Understanding Dispersants’, both of which were aimed at improving attendee knowledge and identifying ways to increase efficiencies in oil spill response. Liability Provision for Production Assets In February 2018, Oil & Gas UK published the Liability Provision Guidelines for Offshore Petroleum Operations . This document has been used across industry to aid the demonstration of financial liability and has been shared across Europe as a best practice guide for Member State regulators. Management of Radioactive Substances The focus for the Radiological Issues Technical Group this year was the transposition of the Euratom Basic Safety Standards Directive (BSSD) into UK legislation. The group provided industry feedback to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) on the development of standard conditions controlling registrations and permits under the new environmental authorisations framework in Scotland. A request for a review of the legislative framework for radioactive liquids was made during the BSSD implementation, which has resulted in a BEIS/Public Health England (PHE) led review process which will continue into 2019. Implementation of EU Directives and Best Available Technology Reference Documents (BREFs) Oil & Gas UK’s Atmospherics Technical Group continues to engage with OPRED to discuss implementation of the LCP BREF, including physical stack emission monitoring, the derogation process from the Associated Emission Levels outlined in the BREF. Both the LCP and MCPD requirements have been translated into UK legislation through the Offshore Combustion Installations (Pollution Prevention and Control) Regulations, with permit conditions updated from July 2018.

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