The Air Quality Limit Values Regulations 2003

Made: 13th August 2003

Laid before Parliament: 14th August 2003

Coming into force: 9th September 2003

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Citation, commencement and extent

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Definitions

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Designation of competent authority

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Duty to ensure compliance with limit values

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Target values and long-term objectives for ozone

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Assessment of ambient air quality

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Classification of zones

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Review of classifications

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Method of assessment of ambient air quality

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Action plans

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Action to be taken where limit values are exceeded

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Programmes and measures to address ozone levels

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Consultations with other Member States of the European Union

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Extension of power to give directions relating to air quality

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Zones where the levels are lower than the limit value

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Public information

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Revocations and transitional provisions

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Information requirements

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SCHEDULE 1 — LIMIT VALUES, MARGINS OF TOLERANCE, INFORMATION ANDALERT THRESHOLDS

PART I — Sulphur Dioxide

Limit values for sulphur dioxide

1.1

Alert threshold for sulphur dioxide

1.2

500 µg/m³ measured over three consecutive hours at locations representative of air quality over at least 100 km² or an entire zone, whichever is the smaller.

Minimum details to be made available to the public when the alert threshold for sulphur dioxide is exceeded

1.3

Details to be made available to the public should include at least:

• the date, hour and place of the occurrence and the reasons for the occurrence, where known;

• any forecasts of: changes in concentration (improvement, stabilisation, or deterioration), together with the reasons for those changes, the geographical area concerned, and the duration of the occurrence;

• the type of population potentially sensitive to the occurrence;

• the precautions to be taken by the sensitive population concerned.

PART II — Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) and Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx)

Limit values for nitrogen dioxide and oxides of nitrogen

1.1

Alert threshold for nitrogen dioxide

1.2

400 µg/m³ measured over three consecutive hours at locations representative of air quality over at least 100 km² or an entire zone or agglomeration, whichever is the smaller.

Minimum details to be made available to the public when the alert threshold for nitrogen dioxide is exceeded

1.3

Details to be made available to the public should include at least:

• the date, hour and place of the occurrence and the reasons for the occurrence, where known;

• any forecasts of: changes in concentration (improvement, stabilisation, or deterioration), together with the reasons for those changes, the geographical area concerned, and the duration of the occurrence;

• the type of population potentially sensitive to the occurrence;

• the precautions to be taken by the sensitive population concerned.

PART III — Particulate Matter (PM10)

1

24-hour limit value for the protection of human health

2

Annual limit value for the protection of human health

PART IV — Lead

PART V — Benzene

PART VI — Carbon Monoxide

PART VII — Ozone

Information and alert thresholds for ozone

1.1

Minimum details to be supplied to the public when the information or alert threshold is exceeded or exceedance is predicted

1.2

Details to be supplied to the public on a sufficiently large scale as soon as possible should include—

1

Information on any observed exceedance:

• (a) the location or area of the exceedance;

• (b) the type of threshold exceeded (information threshold or alert threshold);

• (c) the time at which the exceedance began and its duration; and

• (d) the highest 1-hour and 8-hour mean concentration.

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SCHEDULE 2 — TARGET VALUES AND LONG-TERM OBJECTIVES FOR OZONE CONCENTRATIONS IN AMBIENT AIR

PART I — Definitions and interpretation

In this Schedule—

• (a) all values shall be expressed in µg/m³;

• (b) the volume shall be standardised at the following conditions of temperature and pressure: 293K and 101,3kPa;

• (c) the time shall be specified in Central European Time;

• (d) “AOT40” (expressed in (µg/m³) hours) means the sum of the difference between hourly concentrations greater than 80 µg/m³ (which equals 40 parts per billion) and 80 µg/m³ over a given period using only the 1 hour values measured between 8:00 and 20:00 Central European Time each day;

• (e) in order to be valid, the annual data on exceedances used to check compliance with the target values and long-term objectives below must meet the criteria set out in Part II of Schedule 8.

PART II — Target values for ozone

1

Target value for the protection of human health

2

Target value for the protection of vegetation

PART III — Long-term objectives for ozone

1

Long-term objective for the protection of human health

2

Long-term objective for the protection of vegetation

SCHEDULE 3 — UPPER AND LOWER ASSESSMENT THRESHOLDS AND EXCEEDANCES

PART I — Upper and lower assessment thresholds

The following upper and lower assessment thresholds will apply:

PART II — Determination of exceedances of upper and lower assessment thresholds

Exceedances of upper and lower assessment thresholds must be determined on the basis of concentrations during the previous five years where sufficient data are available. An assessment threshold will be deemed to have been exceeded if it has been exceeded during at least three separate years out of the previous five years.

Where fewer than five years' data are available, measurement campaigns of short duration during the period of the year and at locations likely to be typical of the highest pollution levels may be combined with results obtained from emission inventories and modelling to determine exceedances of the upper and lower assessment thresholds.

SCHEDULE 4 — LOCATION OF SAMPLING POINTS FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF RELEVANT POLLUTANTS AND OZONE IN AMBIENT AIR

The following considerations will apply to fixed measurement.

PART I — Macroscale Siting

Protection of human health

a

Sampling points directed at the protection of human health should be sited:

• (i) to provide data on the areas within zones where the highest concentrations occur to which the population is likely to be directly or indirectly exposed for a period which is significant in relation to the averaging period of the limit value;

• (ii) to provide data on levels in other areas within the zones which are representative of the exposure of the general population.

Protection of ecosystems and vegetation

b

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PART II — Macroscale Siting: Ozone