Does your surface treatment 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.
Surface treatment industrial activities
These are industrial activities that have an impact on the environment and are listed in the EASR regulations.
These activities include:
- surface treatment of metals or plastic materials in vats with a volume of more than 30 cubic metres
- surface treating materials using cadmium or its compounds where the activity may result in the release of cadmium or its compounds
- surface treatment of metal that is likely to result in the release into air of any acid-forming oxide of nitrogen
- heat removal of non-metallic contaminants
- surface cleaning using substances (more than 1 tonnes per year) that are:
- volatile organic compounds assigned, or that need to carry, one or more of the hazard statements H340, H350, H350i, H360D or H360F
- halogenated volatile organic compounds are assigned, or that need to carry, either of the hazard statements H341 or H351
- other surface cleaning above 2 tonnes per year
- original coating of vehicles and the coating of trailers – not respraying
- surface treatment of substances, objects or products using organic solvents, in particular for dressing, printing, coating, degreasing, waterproofing, sizing, painting, cleaning, or impregnating, with an organic solvent consumption capacity of more than 150 kg per hour or more than 200 tonnes per year
- repainting or respraying aircraft or railway vehicles or parts of them if the activity may result in the release into the air of particulate matter or of any volatile organic compound and the carrying on of the activity is likely to involve the use per year of;
- 20 tonnes or more of any paint or other coating material which is applied in solid form,
- 20 tonnes or more of any metal coating which is sprayed on in molten form, or
- 5 tonnes or more of organic solvents.
- all other coating activities likely to involve the use per year of 20 tonnes or more of any metal coating which is sprayed on in molten form
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.
How to apply for a permit
Further information