Environmental Issues - COMAH & Pipelines
Control of Major
Accident Hazards (COMAH)
The
Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1999 (COMAH) implement
the Seveso II Directive (96/82/EC) in Great Britain (Northern Ireland
will produce its own regulations), except for land-use planning
requirements which are to be implemented by changes to planning
legislation. They replace the Control of Industrial Major
Accident Hazards Regulations 1984 (CIMAH) which implemented the
original Seveso Directive (82/501/EEC).
They came into force on 1st April
1999 and their aim is to prevent major accidents involving dangerous
substances and limit the consequences to people and the environment
of any which do occur.
The Regulations are enforced by a joint Competent Authority (CA)
comprising of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Environment
Agency (EA) in England and Wales.
Regulation 10 (1) of the COMAH Regulations 1999 require the Local
Authority to prepare and keep up-to-date Off-Site Emergency Plans
for top tier COMAH sites in their area of jurisdiction. In compliance
with Regulation 2 (1) of the same regulations, this duty is placed
on the Tyne and Wear Fire and Civil Defence Authority. The content
of such plans shall be adequate for meeting the requirements of
objectives outlined in Part 1 of Schedule 5 and contain the details
specified in Part 3 of the same Schedule.
It is the duty of Tyne and Wear Fire and Civil Defence Authority
to prepare and keep up to date this off-site emergency plan. This
duty is discharged via the Tyne and Wear Emergency Planning Unit.
For more information:
www.hse.gov.uk/comah
Pipelines
The
Pipelines Safety Regulations 1996 require the Emergency Planning
Unit to prepare emergency plans for pipelines which carry fluids
at over 7 bar pressure, which lie within the Tyne and Wear boundary.
These pipelines are designated Major Accident Hazard Pipelines (MAHP).
All pipelines within this category are used for the distribution
of natural gas operated by National Grid, and pass through Sunderland City Council, Gateshead Council, and Newcastle City Council areas.
The Tyne & Wear Pipelines Emergency
Plan became affective as of February 1998. The Plan has been prepared
on the basis of information provided to the EPU by the pipeline
operator regarding the nature, extent and likely effects of an accident
involving natural gas.
The Pipelines Emergency Plan is designed to ‘dovetail’
with the Major Incident Plans of Sunderland City Counci, Gateshead
Council and Newcastle City Council.
The aim of the Plan is to facilitate the rapid deployment and co-ordination
of all necessary resources required to mitigate the effects of an
incident involving an escape or ignition of natural gas at any point
on the pipelines within Tyne and Wear.
The Objectives of the Plan are to harness all the available resources
in order that it may:
- Minimise danger to the public
- Assist in the process of controlling and containing the incident
- Facilitate the co-ordination of external authorities and services
Establish a system for the flow of information during an emergency
- Preserve relevant data for subsequent investigation.
Should an incident involve a MAHP crossing the Tyne and Wear county boundary,
there will be co-ordinated response involving either Durham or Northumberland
County Council.
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