Does your mineral business require an EASR IA permit?
Your business may require an EASR Industrial Activity (IA) permit from SEPA. 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, you will need an EASR IA permit from SEPA.
An installation is a stationary technical unit, such as a self-contained building, permanent structure or fixed plant, used for activities listed in the regulations.
Mineral industrial activities
These are industrial activities that have an impact on the environment and are listed in the EASR regulations.
These activities include:
- operating a medium combustion plant with a rated thermal input equal to or more than 1MW and less than 50MW
- production of asbestos or asbestos products
- removing asbestos from railway vehicles except:
- when repairing or maintaining the vehicle
- when recovering a vehicle following an accident
- when the asbestos is permanently bonded to a material (e.g. cement, plastic, rubber or resin)
- finishing, including shaping, drilling, or fitting manufactured asbestos products
- production of:
- cement klinker in rotary kilns with a capacity of more than 500 tonnes per day, or other kilns of more than 50 tonnes per day
- lime in kilns with a capacity of more then 50 tonnes per day
- magnesium oxide in kilns with a capacity of more than 50 tonnes per day
- storing, loading or unloading cement or cement clinker in bulk prior to further transportation in bulk.
- grinding cement klinker
- slaking lime for the purpose of making calcium hydroxide or calcium magnesium hydroxide
- lime production - heating calcium carbonate or calcium magnesium carbonate for the purpose of making lime
- manufacture of ceramic products by firing, in particular roofing tiles, bricks, refractory bricks, tiles, stoneware or porcelain
- firing heavy clay or refractory goods when not using a kiln
- vapour glazing earthenware or clay with salt
- Glass manufacture and production
- manufacture of glass, including glass fibre, with a melting capacity more than 20 tonnes per day
- manufacture of glass at any location with a capacity to make 5,000 tonnes or more in any 12-month period
- manufacture of glass using lead or lead compounds
- making any glass product where lead or any lead compound is being used in the manufacture of the glass. This does not include:
- making products from lead glass blanks
- melting or mixing glass made elsewhere to produce items like ornaments or road paint
- Polishing or etching glass or glass products in the course of any manufacturing activity if:
- hydrofluoric acid is used,
- hydrogen fluoride may be released into the air
- manufacture of glass frit or enamel frit and its use in any activity where that activity is related to its manufacture
- manufacturing cellulose fibre reinforced calcium silicate board
- melting mineral substances including the production of mineral fibres with a melting capacity exceeding 20 tonnes per day
- Size reduction, grading and handling of coal and coal products
- Handling (loading/unloading) and storage of pulverised fuel ash
- The fusion of calcinated bauxite for the production of artificial corundum
What you must do
If your installation carries out listed activities, you will need a permit from SEPA and you will need to comply with the conditions of the permit.
Contact your environmental regulator
If you are unsure whether you are affected by EASR Industrial Activity permits, contact SEPA.