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Dept of Trade and Industry

Answer

Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action his Department (a) has taken and (b) intends to take to address the environmental impact of using oil as an energy source. [137219] Mrs. Liddell: Environmental issues related to the extraction of oil are regulated in the main according to the Offshore Petroleum Production and Pipe-lines (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 1999. Other environmental legislation such as the Prevention of Oil Pollution Act 1971 also applies. The environmental aspects of oil production are kept under review and it is planned to introduce further legislation to deal with specific aspects. UK refineries have invested heavily in recent years to meet rising environmental standards, influenced--among other requirements--by the EU's Auto-Oil programme. They are regulated under the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control regime. All oil-fired Large Combustion Plant will be controlled through the revised EU Large Combustion Plant Directive. In addition, the UNECE Gothenburg Protocol and the proposed EU National Emissions Ceiling Directive will set annual emission ceilings for sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds from 2010. Emissions attached to the final use of oils in transport are the responsibility of the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions. Much of the industrial use of oil will come under the requirements of the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control regime.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

356 c501W; 137219

Session

1999-00

Subjects

Air pollution Environment protection EU law Energy Oil Pollution control Production

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk