Author(s)

S. M. Hassan, K. A. Ling, J. W. S. Longhurst & N. K. Woodfield

Abstract

The local air quality management framework in Great Britain stems from the Environment Act 1995, Part IV. The Act places responsibility on local government to review and assess air quality in their areas of jurisdiction. The process of review and assessment is undertaken in Rounds. In Round 1 of review and assessment, the Government recommended in its guidance documents a three-stage approach, whereby each stage increased in detail and complexity. In 2003 the Government suggested a new two-stage prescriptive approach to Round 2 review and assessment. The first step in this approach is an Updating and Screening Assessment (USA) in which each local authority identifies changes to local circumstances since the first round and completes a risk assessment to identify locations where Air Quality Objectives (AQOs) are likely to be exceeded. Where a risk is identified, the local authority must progress to the second step; a Detailed Assessment (DA). This paper examines 388 USA reports from different local authorities across Great Britain to identify AQOs at risk of exceedences and their sources. The methodology adopted is an appraisal of the USA reports submitted to the Government and the national archive of air quality review and assessment reports. Results show that 201 local authorities are progressing to a DA for pollutants previously identified in Round 1 as at risk of failure to meet the AQOs (nitrogen dioxide, particles (PM10), sulphur dioxide) and for other pollutants not previously identified (e.g. benzene). It was concluded that the new prescriptive approach to air quality review and assessment resulted in identification of new potential AQO exceedences. Keywords: Local Air Quality Management (LAQM), Updating and Screening Assessment (USA), Detailed Assessment (DA).

Keywords

Local Air Quality Management (LAQM), Updating and Screening Assessment (USA), Detailed Assessment (DA).