Water Pollution Rules, 2001

8/3/2019 Water Pollution Rules, 2001

1/22

Th e Environm ental Managem ent Act, 2000

THE WATER POLLUTION RULES, 2001

Arrangem ent of Rules

Rule1. Cit a tion

2 . I n ter p re ta t ion

3. Register of Water Pollutants

4. Requirements for source application

5. Prohibition against release of water pollutants

6. Source applicat ion

7. Registration certificate

8. Requirement to apply for a permit

9. Genera l prohibition against non complian ce with a n otice to apply

for a permit10. Application for a permit

11. Fur ther informat ion

12. Incomplete application

13. Determination of application

14. Durat ion of permits

15. Permit condi t ions

16. Changes after grant of registration certificate or permit

17. Va r ia t ion

18. Transfer of permit

19. Renewal of permits

20. Revocation of permits or registrat ion certificat e

21. Suspension of permits or registrat ion certificate

22. Pr ocedure for th e revocat ion, suspension and variat ion of permit

or registr at ion cert ificat e an d rejection of claim

23. Notificat ion of decisions of th e Aut hority

24. Appeals to the Commission

25. Water Polluters Register

26. Trade secrets a nd confidential business informa tion


2/22

LEGAL NOTICE NO. 230

REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

THE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ACT, 2000

RULES

MADE BY T HE MINISTER UNDER SECTIONS 26, 48, 52, 53 AND 54 OF TH E

E NVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ACT, 2000

THE WATER POLLUTION RULES, 2001

1. These Rules may be cited as th e Water Pollut ion Rules, 2001.

2. In these Rules

Act means t he E nvironment al Man agement Act, 2000;

aquifer means a formation of permeable rock saturated with

water and with a degree of permeability that allows water

to be withdra wn;

agricultural means pertaining to horticulture, fruit growing,

seed growing, dairy farming, the breeding and keeping of

livestock (including any creature kept for the production of

food, clothing, or for the purpose of farming of land), the

use of l and as graz ing l and , meadow land , os ie r l and ,

market gardens and nursery grounds, and use of land for

woodlands where that use is ancillary to the farming land

for oth er pu rposes;

Authority means the Environmental Management Authority

esta blished u nder section 6(1) of the Act;

base flow means the contribution of groundwater flow tostr eam flow;

coastal nearshore means the area of the marine environment

which extends no more than three nautical miles from the

high water mar k;

commercial means of or pertaining to business or trade;

C o m m i s s i o n m e a n s t h e E n v i r o n m e n t a l C o m m i s s i o n

established u nder section 81 of the Act;

dis infect ion means the use of a chemical or technique to

des t roy or inhib i t the growth of microorganisms tha t

causes diseases;

emergency means any situation arising from events beyondt h e r e a s o n a b l e co n t r o l of a n y p e r s o n t h a t r e q u i r e s

Legal Supplement Part BVol. 40, No. 20324th October, 2001 855

Citation

Interpretation

Act No. 3 of

2000


3/22

corrective action to restore n orm al operation a nd causes a

facili ty to breach a permit condition or the permissible

levels for release of water pollutants;

facility means any location within the environment, and any

p r e m i s e s , v e h i c l e s , b u i l d i n g s , p r o c e s s , e q u i p m e n t ,

development , or natural or man-made s t ructure at such

location, from which water polluta nts may be released;

groundwa ter mea ns th e water below th e ear t hs sur face,

usu ally in porous rock formations;

i n d u s t r i a l m e a n s o f or p e r t a i n i n g t o t h e m a n u fa c t u r e ,

processing, handl ing, t ransport , s torage or disposal of

m a t e r i a l s ( i nc l ud i ng r aw m a t e r i a l s , m a t e r i a l s i n t he

p r oces s o f m an uf act u r e , m an uf act u r ed m a t e r i a l s , by -

products and waste materials);

inland surface waters means the water from rivers, creeks,

t i d a l w a t e r s , e s t u a r i e s , s w a m p s , s t r e a m s , l a k e s a n d

impounded reservoirs that f lows over or rests upon the

land sur face of Trinidad an d Tobago an d in d ry conditionsincludes t he a rea over wh ich su ch water s flowed or rested;

institution includes health care establishments, hospitals,

prisons, s chools an d zoos;

Local Aut horit y mea ns a Council of a Mun icipal Corpora tion

within t he m eaning of the Mu nicipal Corporat ions Act ,

1990;

marine offshore means that area of the marine environment

seawar d of the coast al near shore;

motor vehicle means any mechanical ly propel led vehicle

intended or ad apt ed for use on roads and includes a trolley

v e h i c l e , b u t d o e s n o t i n c l u d e v e h i c l e s c o n s t r u c t e dexclusively for use on rails or other specially protected

tracks;

n o t i c e m e a n s a n o t i c e i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h t h e f o r m

determ ined by the Auth ority;

permissible level means the level specified in the Second

Schedule out s ide of which a person re leas ing a water

pollutant may be required by the Authority to submit an

application pur sua nt t o ru le 8 for a per mit;

p e r m i t m e a n s a w a t e r p ol lu t i o n p e r m i t g r a n t e d u n d e r

section 53(1) of the Act;

p e r m i t t e e m e a n s a p e r s on t o w h om a p e r m i t h a s b e e n

granted;

856 Water Pollution Ru les, 2001

Second

Schedule

Act No. 21 of

1990


4/22

place mean s

(a) a geograph ica l ly cont iguous proper ty wher e an

activity is carried out;

(b) a non-cont iguous proper ty wher e an ac t iv ity i s

carried out that is connected by a right of way to

which t he pu blic does not ha ve access; or

(c) two or more pieces of property, where an activity

occurs , tha t a re geographica l ly cont iguous and

divided by public or p rivat e right of way(s);

prescr ibed fee means the fee prescr ibed by the Minister

un der section 96(2) of th e Act;

receiving environment means any environment specified in

th e Second Schedule;

Register means the register of water pollutants established

unde r s ect i on 52 ( 2 ) o f t he Act a nd m a i n t a i ned un de r

ru le 3;

registr able facility mean s

(a) an indust rial facility;(b) a comm ercial facility;

(c) an agricultura l facility;

(d) an institution; and

(e) a sewerage facility;

regis tered faci l i ty means a faci l i ty that is entered in the

Water P olluters Register;

regis tered person means a person to whom a regis t rat ion

certificate ha s been issued;

Registr ar means t he Registrar of Companies appointed un der

th e Companies Act, 1995;

regi s t ra t ion cer t i fi ca t e mean s a cer t i f i ca t e i s sued un derru le 7;

source appl icat ion means an appl icat ion under rule 6 to

regis ter a faci l i ty as a source of the release of a water

pollutant;

sewerage facility means street sewers, collecting sewers and

house sewers , and works or appl iances of every k ind

forming part of the construction of the sewer system or

necessary accessory, or incidenta l th ereto an d includes

pumping stations and tr eatment plants;

Tobago House of Assembly means the Tobago House of

Assembly referred t o in section 141A of the Const itution;

vehicle means any form of conveyance or transportation fromwhich wat er polluta nt s may be released;

Water Pollution Ru les, 2001 857

Act No. 35 of

1995

Second

Schedule


5/22

water means any surface water, sea, groundwater, wetlands

or m arine ar eas within the environment;

water polluta nt has t he m eaning a ssigned to it in ru le 3(1);

Water Pollut ers Register mean s th e record est ablished un der

ru le 25;

WASA mean s th e Water an d Sewerage Auth ority establishedun der section 3 of the Water an d Sewerage Act.

3. (1) For the purpose of these Rules, the parameters or substances

a t the quant i ty , condi t ion or concent ra t ion ment ioned in th e Fi r s t

Schedule are water polluta nt s specific to Trinidad an d Tobago.

(2) The Authority shall mainta in in any form a Register of Water

Pollutants.

4. (1) Subject to sub-rule (2) a person who intends t o release from a

registrable facili ty a water pollutant that is l ikely to cause harm to

human heal th or to the environment is required to submit a source

appl icat ion to the Authori ty for ty-f ive working days pr ior to suchrelease.

(2) A person wh o is alread y in the pr ocess of discha rging a wat er

pol lutant f rom a regis t rable faci l i ty at the commencement of these

Rules shall be required to submit a source application not later than

forty-five working days from the commencement of these Rules.

(3) The operation of th e registra ble facility from which a wat er

polluta nt is released sha ll be allowed un til final deter minat ion of sour ce

application.

(4) For the pur pose of an y application un der these Rules, where

in one place a person carries out an a ctivity in more th an one str uctur e,

th at place may, subject to th e discretion of th e Auth ority compr ise onefacility.

(5) Unless otherwise au th orised un der su b-rules (1), (2) and (3),

no person shall allow the r elease of a water p ollutan t from a registra ble

facility.

(6) Sub-rules (1) and (2) do not a pply to

(a) operational releases from motor vehicles;

(b) releases f rom households except where such households

cont ain indu str ial or commer cial facilities; or

(c) releases authorised by a competent governmental ent i ty

i n t o s e w e r a g e f a c i l i t i e s o w n e d o r o p e r a t e d b y s u c hcompetent governm enta l entity.


Chap. 54:50

Register of

water

pollutants

First

Schedule

Requirement

for source

application


6/22

5. (1) A person shall not release a water polluta nt into any water

approved by a competent governmental entity for human consumption

wi t hou t t r e a t m en t or whe r e t r ea t m en t h a s been l i m it ed s o le l y t o

disinfection.

(2) A person shall not release a water pollutant into groundwater

where

(a) the groundwater is vulnerable to contamination because of

the hydrological characteristics of the area under which the

groundwat er occurs;

(b) no a l t e rna t ive source of dr inking water i s ava i lab le to

substantial current or future populations;

(c) the aquifer provides the base flow for a sensitive ecological

system;

(d) t he r e l ea s e o f a wa t e r po ll u t an t m ay des t r oy a un i que

ha bitat; or

(e) the groundwater is a current or potential source of drinking

water or has some oth er beneficial use.

6. (1) A source application sha ll

(a) be completed in t r ipl icate and shal l be submit ted to the

Authority togeth er with the prescribed fee;

(b) b e i n a c cor d a n c e w it h t h e fo r m a s d e t e r m i n e d b y t h e

Authority;

(c) be in r espect of one facility; and

(d) include th e following informa tion:

(i) the compan y or corporate n ame, or nam e of the

institu tion or individua l, the n am es of directors if

any, the name and position of the applicant, the

n a m e o f o w n e r o r o c c u p i e r a n d t h e m a i l i n gadd ress of the facility;

(i i) th e locat ion of th e faci li ty, includin g town or

village, district, str eet na me an d lot nu mber;

(iii) a br ie f descr ip t ion of the pr ocess or a c t iv i ty

g e n e r a t i n g t h e r e l e a s e i n c l u d i n g p r i n c i p a l

products and r aw ma terials used;

(iv) age, energy use and water use of th e facility;

(v) existing or pr oposed volumetr ic release ra tes;

(v i) e f fluent qua l i ty moni tor ing da t a which sha l l

indicate characteristics of release, including flow

rate, quantity, conditions and concentrations of

constituents;


Prohibition

against release

of water

pollutants

Source

application


7/22

(vii ) an indicat ion of whet her or not t he faci li ty is

proposed or is in existence;

(viii) an in dicat ion of whet her or not other a pprovals

from any other governmental entity are required

under wri t ten law and whether such approvals

ha ve been obtained;

(ix) topograph ic ma p of the ar ea with a scale of one in

twenty-five thousand, extending to at least one

kilometr e beyond t he property bounda ry;

(x) a de s c r i p t i on o f an y wa t e r po ll u t i on con t r o l

programme;

(xi) a description of th e receiving environm ent into

which t he r elease is directed;

(xii) an y oth er relevant inform ation deemed necessary

by the Auth ority.

(2) Where the facility is a compan y, the applican t sh all supply

th e Authority with a Registr ar s certificat e furnished by t he Registrar of

Companies under section 486(1)(b) of the Companies Act stating that

th e na me of the company is on th e Register of Compa nies.

(3 ) The s ou r ce app l i ca t i on s h a l l be s i gned by t h e p r i nc i pa l

executive officer where the application is with respect to a company and

in other instances by the person owning or operating the registrable

facility in respect of which the registration is being sought.

7. (1) Subject to subru le (2), where the Auth ority receives a source

a p p l i ca t i o n a n d d e t e r m i n e s t h a t t h e a p p l ica n t r e l e a s e s a w a t e r

pol lutant , the Authori ty shal l wi thin ten working days issue to the

applican t a registrat ion certificate.

(2) Where the applicant submits furt her informat ion pur suant torule 11 or 12 and the Authority determines that the a pplicant releases a

water pollutant, the Authority shall within ten working days of receipt

of tha t informa tion issue to the a pplican t a registrat ion certificat e.

(3) A registr at ion certificate is valid for a per iod of th ree years

from t he da te of issue.

(4) Where a registered person wishes to cont inu e to release a

water pollutant beyond the expiration of the registration certificate,

that person shall submit an application for renewal of a registration

certificate to the Authority, in accordance with the form as determined

by the Authority, together with the prescribed fee. Provided however

tha t a person i s sued wi th a permi t under these Rules sha l l no t berequired t o renew a r egistr ation certificat e when it expires.


Act No. 35 of

1995

Registration

certificate


8/22

(5) An applicat ion for th e renewa l of a registr at ion certificate

under subrule (4) shall be made at least thirty working days before the

expiration of the registration certificate.

(6) Where a r egistered person has submitted an application for

th e renewa l of a r egistr at ion certificate in a ccordance with su brules (4)

and (5), the expired registration certificate shall continue to be in force

un til th e effective dat e of the r enewed registra tion certificat e.

8. (1) Where an y person releases a wat er polluta nt int o a receiving

environment outside the permissible level, that is likely to cause harm

to human health or to the environment, the Authority may at any time

notify tha t person t o apply for a permit.

(2 ) A pe r s on g r an t ed a pe r m i t s h a l l be r equ i r ed t o pay t he

pres cribed fee.

9. (1) Subject t o subru le (2), a person who receives a notice under

ru le 8(1) shall comply with th e requirem ents of th at notice.

(2) The operation of th e facility from which the wa ter polluta nt is

released shal l be al lowed to cont inue unt i l a request to submit an

app l i ca t i on f o r a pe r m i t i s m ade pu r s uan t t o r u l e 8 ( 1 ) and f i na l

determ inat ion of the application for t he perm it.

(3) Where a person r eceives a notice un der ru le 8(1), tha t person

shall not, after the final determination of the application for a permit

release any water pollutants outside the permissible levels unless that

person has a valid permit gran ted by the Auth ority.

10. (1) An application for a permit sha ll

(a) be submitted within thirty working days after the person

receives a notice under rule 8(1);

(b) be completed in t r ipl icate and shal l be submit ted to theA u t h o r i t y t o g e t h e r w i t h t h e p r e s c r i b e d f e e a n d i n

accordance with t he form prescribed by th e Authority;

(c) be in resp ect of one facility;

(d) include th e following informa tion:

(i) c om p a n y n a m e o r c or p o r a t e n a m e , n a m e o f

institu tion or individua l, nam es of directors if any

name and position of applicant, name of owner or

occupier and mailing address of the facility;

(ii) a m ap showing th e loca t ion of any exi s t ing or

proposed intak e and r elease points;

(iii) an identification of the receiving water or water sby name;


Requirements

to apply for a

permit

General

prohibition

against non-

compliance

with a noticeto apply for a

permit

Application

for a permit


9/22

(iv) copies of an y Environment al Impact St atem ent or

Assessment Report s or environmen ta l study which

perta ins t o the facility;

(v) d e s c r i p t i on o f a n y w a t e r p o l l u t i o n c on t r o l

programme; and

(vi) any other information deemed necessary by the

Authority;

(e) be s igned by the pr inc ipa l execut ive of f i cer where the

app l i ca t i on i s wi t h r e s pec t t o a com pan y and i n o t he r

instances by the person owning or operating the facility in

respect of which th e perm it is being sought.

(2) Where the applican t is a compa ny, the applican t sha ll supply

th e Authority with a Registr ar s certificat e furnished by t he Registrar of

Companies under section 486(1)(b) of the Companies Act stating that

th e na me of the company is on th e Register of Compa nies.

(3) The Authority may, at t he request of the a pplicant , grant a

reasonable extension of the t ime prescribed in su b-ru le (1)(a).

11. (1) T h e A u t h o r i t y m a y , d u r i n g t h e d e t e r m i n a t i o n of a n

appl ica t ion under these Rules , r eques t ora l or addi t iona l wr i t t en

information from

(a) an applicant ;

(b) a person who is directly affected by the application;

(c) a Loca l Author i ty , any agency of the Tobago House of

Assembly or a ny other governmen t en tity; or

(d) an y sour ce the Aut hority considers a ppropriate.

(2) Where the Authority receives informa tion un der subru le 1(b),

1(c) or 1(d) the Auth ority shall

(a) forward to the applicant a summary of such information;and

(b) r e q u e s t t h e a p p l i ca n t t o s u b m i t a r e s p on s e w i t h i n a

specified t ime.

(3) Where dur ing the de te rm ina t ion of an a ppl ica t ion un der

th ese Rules the applican t becomes awa re

(a) that in an application or in a report to the Authority the

appl icant has fai led to submit any relevant facts or has

submitted incorrect information; or

(b) tha t there i s any change a f fec t ing the accuracy of any

inform ation pr ovided to th e Auth ority,

the applicant shall within ten working days, notify and submit to theAuthority th e relevant facts an d corr ect inform ation.

862 Water Pollution R ules, 2001

Act No. 35 of

1995

Further

information


10/22

12. (1) Where the Authority considers tha t th e applicant has omitted

to provide any of the informa t ion requi red un der t hese Rules , the

Authority shall notify the applicant in writing of the omission within

ten working da ys of receipt of th e application an d sha ll request within a

specified time th e omitted informat ion.

(2) The Authority may, at th e request of th e applican t allow an

extension of the t ime l imit specif ied by the Authori ty pursuant to

subr ule (1) or ru le 11(2).

(3) Wi thout pr e judice to the gen era l i ty of ru le 13(1) , wher e

the appl icant does not supply the informat ion as reques ted under

subrule (1) or rule 11(1)(a) or 11(2)(b) within the time limit specified by

the Authority under subrule (1) or (2), or rule 11(1)(a) or 11(2)(b) the

A u t h o r i t y m a y r e f u s e t o g r a n t a p e r m i t o r i s s u e a r e g i s t r a t i o n

certificate.

13. (1 ) Sub j ect t o s ub r u l e (2 ) t h e Au t ho r i t y s ha l l w it h i n t h i r t y

working da ys of receipt of a completed a pplication u nder ru le 10 gran t

or refuse to gran t with or with out conditions, a permit t o the applican t.

(2) W h e r e t h e a p p l i ca n t u n d e r r u l e 1 0 s u b m i t s f u r t h e r

information under rule 11(2), 11(3) or 12 the Authority shall grant or

refuse to grant a permit within thirty working days of receipt of the

information.

14. Unless previously revoked, varied or su spended by the Auth ority,

a permit shall be effective until a fixed date specified in the permit,

which da te sha ll not be more th an five years from the da te on which the

permit was granted.

15. (1) The Auth ority shall establish in each permit

(a) the water pollutants authorised to be released;

(b) the quantity, conditions and concentrations the permittee

may release;

(c) the exact locat ion wh ere th e sam pling of the release sh all be

performed; a nd

(d) reporting requirements.

(2) The Authority may esta blish in each perm it, conditions, as

r e q u i r e d i n t h e c a s e o f e a c h f a c i l i t y , i n c l u d i n g t h e f o l l o w i n g

requirements:

(a) that the permittee sha ll take all reasonable steps to

(i) avoid al l adverse en vironmen ta l impacts whichcould r esult from t he a ctivity;


Incomplete

application

Determination

of application

Durat ion of

permits

Permit

conditions


11/22

(ii) minimize th e adverse environm enta l impa ct where

th e avoidance is impractical;

(i ii) mitigate the impact where th e impa ct cannot be

avoided;

(b) that monitoring of the conditions of the permit be conducted

in accordance with th e meth ods specified in the permit;

(c) tha t m easurements t aken for t he pur pose of moni tor ing

sha ll be represent at ive of th e release;

(d) that the permittee shall retain records of all monitoring,

including

(i) all calibration and maintenan ce records;

(ii) all origina l strip cha rt or electronic recordin gs for

continuous monitoring instrumentation;

(iii) copies of all report s requ ired by th e perm it; and

(iv) records of all data used t o complete t he a pplicat ion

for a permit,

for a per iod of a t l eas t four years f rom the da te of theexpirat ion of a permit wh ich per iod ma y be extended by t he

Authority;

(e) tha t records of monitoring informa tion include

(i) t h e d a t e , e x a c t p l a ce a n d t i m e s a m p l e s or

measurements were taken;

(ii) the na me(s) of individual(s) who took t he sa mples

or measur ements;

(iii) the da te(s) an alyses were performed;

(iv) the individual(s) who performed th e ana lyses;

(v) the ana lyt ical methods used;

(vi) the resu lts of such ana lyses;

(vii) the met hods supportin g the inform ation such as

observations, readings, calculations and bench

data used a nd t he resu lts of such meth odologies;

(viii) the sta te of the operat ion of the facility including,

b u t n o t l i m it e d t o , p l a n n e d a n d u n p l a n n e d

shu tdowns, production levels and achievement of

design capacity; and

(ix) ha ndling of sam ples;

(f) that the permittee shall at all t imes properly operate and

maintain all facilities and systems of treatment and control

which are installed and used by the permittee to achievecomplian ce with t he perm it;



12/22

(g) tha t th e permittee shall at all times carr y out a nd maint ain

(i) best mana gement practices;

(ii)p ollution and prevention measu res;

(iii) adequa te la bora tory cont rols;

(iv) th e appropriate quality assur an ce procedures; and

( v ) b a c k - u p o r a u x i l i a r y f a c i l i t i e s t o a c h i e v e

compliance with th e permit;

(h) tha t the permi t t ee sha l l furn i sh the Author i ty wi th any

information which the Authority may request to determine

whether cause exists for varying, suspending, revoking or

renewing the permit or to determine compliance with the

permit;

(i) tha t the permi t t ee sha l l furn i sh to the Author i ty , upon

r e q u e s t , c op i e s of r e co r d s r e q u i r e d t o b e k e p t b y t h e

permittee;

(j) that the permittee report all instances of anticipated non-

compl iance to the Author i ty and sha l l g ive reasonable

advance notice to the Authority of any planned changes in

the permitted facility or activity which may result in non-

complian ce with t he permit r equirement s;

(k) that, where there has been non-compliance with the permit

requirements, t he permittee sh all

(i) report t o the Auth ority, within forty-eight hours of

t he t i m e t he pe r m i t t e e becom es awar e o f t he

c i r c u m s t a n c e s o f t h e n o n - c o m p l i a n c e , t h e

an t i ci pa t ed m ann e r i n wh i ch i t m ay endange r

health or th e environment;

(ii)with in five working da ys submit t o the Authority a

written report containing a description of the non-

com pl i ance , i t s c aus e and t he pe r i od o f non -

compliance including exact dates and t ime, the

response, clean-up and counter measures taken;

(ii i) i f the non-compl iance ha s n ot been cor r ec ted ,

submit a report to the Authori ty indicat ing the

an ticipat ed time it is expected t o continue; and

( iv)s ta te whether the permi t t ee cons iders tha t the

non-compliance was due to an emergency and thereasons for such a belief;



13/22

(l) that the permittee sha ll allow an aut horised representative

of th e Auth ority, upon th e presen ta tion of identificat ion, to

(i) enter u pon the facility where the water pollut an t

is released or where records must be kept under

th e condition of the permit;

(ii)h ave access to and copy, at r easonable times, any

records that must be kept under the conditions of

the permit;

( i i i ) i n s p e c t a t r e a s o n a b l e t i m e s a n y f a c i l i t i e s ,

equ i pm en t ( i nc l ud i ng m on i t o r i ng and con t r o l

equipment), practices, or operations regulated or

required under the permit; and

(iv)sample or monitor at reasonable t imes, for the

pur poses of ensur ing permit complian ce.

(3) I n d e c id i n g t h e t e r m s a n d c on d i t i on s o f a p e r m i t , t h e

Authority shall have regard to information submitted under rule 6, 10,

11, 12 or 16.

(4) In determ ining the conditions of a permit, th e factors to be

considered by t he Auth ority shall include bu t n ot be limited t o

(a) the indus t r i a l prof il e of the a ct iv i t i es condu cted a t t he

facility;

(b) the volumetr ic release r at es of effluents;

(c) t h e q u a l i t y o f t h e e f f l u e n t i n c l u d i n g c o n d i t i o n s a n d

concentr at ions of constitut ents;

(e) cha ra cteristics of receiving waters (example whet her ma rine

or inland, flow rates, depth , water quality);

(f) uses of receiving water;

(g) age of th e facility;

(h) pollution cont rol equipment insta lled;

(i) location of point source;

(j) best available practicable technology; and

(k) other relevant inform ation.

16. (1) A regis tered person or permit tee shal l , wi thin twent y-one

working days of the fol lowing events , give the Authori ty not ice in

writ ing of:

(a) a change a ffecting the accur acy of any pa rticulars provided

in an application for a registration certificate or permit; or

(b) the cessation of the operation of the facility in respect ofwhich t he registra tion certificat e or perm it ha s been issued.


Changes after

grant of

registration

certificate or

permit


14/22

(2) A registered person or a perm ittee sha ll, upon paym ent of th e

prescribed fee, give notice to the Authority at least one hundred and

eighty working days prior to any facili ty expansion or modification,

production increase or modification, or process increase or modification

which will result in a new or increased release of one or more water

pollutants.

(3) The notice in subru le (2) sha ll

(a) indicat e th e proposed char acteristics of release in cluding th e

meth od of release, quan tity, conditions an d concentra tions;

(b) identify the receiving water or wat ers by nam e; an d

(c) c on t a i n a m a p s h o w i n g t h e p r o p o s e d lo ca t i on o f a n y

proposed intake and release structures.

(4) Where a r egistered person or permittee

(a) dies;

(b) becomes bankrupt;

(c) transfers ownership;(d) goes int o liquida tion or r eceiversh ip; or

(e) becomes a party to an am algama tion,

tha t person or the person respons ib le for h i s a f fa i r s , sha l l wi th in

twenty-one working days of the event, give the Authority notice in

writing t hereof.

17. (1) The Authority may

(a) on its own initiative vary the conditions of a permit or a

variat ion gra nted pu rsu an t to subru le (8); or

(b) on the application of the permittee vary the conditions of a

permit or the permissible levels for the facility.

(2) The Auth ority may vary a permit under su brule (1)(a)

(a) where it appears to the Authority that a situation specified

in ru le 16 has occurred;

(b) where it appears to the Authority that an emergency has

occurred;

(c) in order to ensure the attainment or maintenance of water

quality;

(d) in order to protect a nd en sur e the pr opagation of a bala nced

community of plant and animal life specific to an area or

region;

(e) in order to allow recreational activities in water; or


Variation


15/22

(f) where it appears to the Authority that any other change,

situation or activity relating to the use of the permit has

occurred t ha t is not consistent with th ese Rules.

(3) Where the Authority varies a permit u nder subru le (1)(a) it

s h a l l i s su e t o t h e p e r m i t t e e a n a m e n d e d p e r m i t o r r e m ov e t h e

requiremen t for a p ermit wh ere th e permitt ee by virtue of a var iation iswithin a ll the prescribed limits.

(4) An application under subrule (1)(b) shall be submitted to the

Authority, together with t he pr escribed fee.

(5) Subject t o subrules (6) an d (7), where t he Auth ority receives

an app l i ca t i on unde r s ub r u l e ( 1 )(b ) for a v a r i a t i on o t h e r t h a n a

variation of the permissible levels for a facility, the Authority shall,

within thirty working days of receipt of the completed application, issue

to the applican t an a mended perm it or refuse to gran t a var iation.

(6 ) Sub j ect t o s ub r u l e ( 7 ) whe r e t he Au t h o r i t y r ecei ve s an

application un der su brule (1)(b) for a variation of the permissible levelsfor a facili ty, the Authority may in the case of an application for a

variation of the permissible levels for the facili ty issue an amended

permit or make a decision to remove the requirement for a permit or

refuse to grant the variation within a reasonable time of receipt of the

application by the Authority so as to allow the Authority to carefully

assess the implications of varying the permissible levels for the facility.

(7) Where the permi t t ee under su brule (1)(b) submi t s fur ther

inform ation u nder rule 11(1), 11(2), 12 or 16 th e Authority m ay issue t o

the applicant an amended permit within thirty working days of receipt

of such information and in the case of an application for a variation of

th e permissible levels for t he facility issue a n a mended permit or m ake

a decision t o remove the r equirement for a perm it or refuse to gran t th e

variat ion within a r easonable time.

(8) T h e A u t h o r i t y m a y a p p r o ve t h e a p p l i ca t i on u n d e r s u b -

rule (1)(b), if the application is based on supported scientific rationale in

the following areas:

(a) variation of prescribed methods of sampling preservation

and ana lysis;

(b) variat ion of permissible levels of water pol lutants f rom

facilities into th e environment ;

(c) variat ion of th e water polluta nts to be monitored; an d

(d) variation of the frequency of monitoring.



16/22

(9) The Authority sha ll not approve an application under subrule

(1)(b) where a variat ion will impa ir

(a) the a ttainment or ma intenance of water quality;

(b) the protection and propagation of a balanced community of

plant or animal life specific to an area or region;

(c) a source of drinking wa ter;

(d) recreational activities in t he wat er.

18. (1) No permit is assignable or tr ansferable to any person without

th e consent of the Auth ority and t he pa yment of th e prescribed fee.

(2) The Authority may, on th e application of a perm ittee, tra nsfer

a permit t o another person.

(3) T h e A u t h o r i t y s h a l l n o t a p p r o ve a n a p p l i ca t i on u n d e r

subrule (2) unless the application is in respect of the release to which

the permit applies.

(4) A n a p p l i ca t i o n f or a t r a n s f e r s h a l l b e in t r i p l ica t e i n

accordance with the form as determined by the Authority, and shall be

submitt ed to the Auth ority together with the pr escribed fee.

(5) An applicat ion for a tr an sfer sh all cont ain

(a) the n ame a nd addr ess of th e proposed tra nsferee; an d

(b) the signat ur es of th e proposed tra nsferee and the a pplican t.

(6) An appl icat ion for a t ra nsfer shal l be accompa nied by the

permit wh ich is to be tra nsferred.

(7) Where the proposed tra nsferee is a compa ny, an application

f or a t r an s f e r s ha l l be accom pa n i ed by a Reg i s t r a r s c e r t i f ic a t e

fur nished by t he Registra r of Compa nies un der section 486 (1)(b) of the

Compa nies Act stat ing tha t th e nam e of the company is on th e Register

of Compan ies.

(8) W h e r e t h e Au t h o r i t y a p p r o v e s a n a p p l i ca t i on u n d e r

subru le (2), th e Authority sh all

(a) e n d o r s e t h e t r a n s f e r on t h e p e r m i t s u b m i t t e d u n d e r

subrule (6);

(b) substitute th e nam e of the a pplicant on t he permit for t hat

of the t ra nsferee; an d

(c) endorse date on which th e applicat ion wa s appr oved.

19. (1) Where a permi t t ee des i res to cont inu e to re lease a wat er

pollutant beyond the expiration of a permit, the permittee shall submit

a n a p p l i ca t i o n f or t h e r e n e w a l o f a p e r m i t t o t h e A u t h o r i t y , i n

accordance with th e form as det ermined by th e Aut hority, together withthe prescribed fee.


Transfer of

permit

Renewal of

permits

Act No. 35 of

1995


17/22

(2) An a pplication for a new permit shall be made at least t hirty

working da ys before t he expirat ion of the per mit.

(3) Where , a ft e r th e expi ra t ion of a perm i t , a permi t t ee has

s ubm i t t ed an app l i ca t i on f or t he n ew pe r m i t i n acco r dance wi t h

subru les (1) and (2), th e expired permit sh all continue in force unt il the

effective date of the renewed permit.

(4) A person whose permit ha s been renewed shall be required to

pay t he pr escribed fees.

20. The Authority ma y revoke a per mit or registrat ion certificat e if it

appears to the Authority tha t

(a) the continuation of the release authorised by the permit or

registration certificate would cause serious pollution of the

environment or serious harm to human health that cannot

be avoided by vary ing the condi t ions of the permi t or

registrat ion cert ificat e;

(b) t h e r e g i s t e r e d p e r s o n o r p e r m i t t e e h a s m a d e a

misrepresent ation or wilful omission in obta ining th e perm it

or registration certificate or in any report submitted to theAuthority;

(c) the per mittee ha s violated a ny fundam enta l condition of th e

permit;

(d) there has been any other change in circumstances relating

to the permi t or reg i s t ra t ion cer t i f i ca te tha t requi res a

permanent reduction in the r elease.

21. (1) T h e Au t h o r i t y m a y s u s p e n d a p e r m i t o r r e g is t r a t i on

cert ificat e if it appear s to the Auth ority th at

(a) the continuation of the release authorised by the permit or

registration certificate would cause serious pollution of the

environment or serious ha rm t o human health;(b) the per mittee ha s violat ed any condition in the perm it;

(c) there has been any other change in circumstances relating

to the permit or registration certificate that requires either

a temp ora ry reduction in th e release.

(2) A permit or registra tion certificate suspended un der this rule

shall be of no effect to authorise the release allowed in the permit or

registrat ion cert ificate.

(3) Where a permit or registra tion certificate is suspended un der

this rule , the Authori ty in suspending i t or at any t ime while i t i s

suspended, may require the permittee or the person in receipt of the

registration certificate to take such measures to deal with or avert thepollution or h arm .


Revocation of

permits or

registration

certificate

Suspension of

permits or

registration

certificate


18/22

22. The Authori ty sha l l not revoke, suspend or vary a perm it or

registrat ion certificate or r eject a claim u nder rule 26 un less it h as

(a) given written notice to the permittee or applicant or person

in receipt of a registrat ion certificat e th at it inten ds t o do so;

(b) specified in the notice the reasons for its intention to do so;

(c) given the permittee or applicant or person in receipt of a

registration certificate a reasonable opportunity to make

s ubm i s s i ons i n r e l a t i on t o t h e r evoca t i on , s u s pens i on ,

variation or rejection; and

(d) t aken in to cons idera t ion any submiss ions made by the

permittee or applicant or person in receipt of a registration

certificate within five working days of service of the notice

prescribed in paragraph (a).

23. T h e A u t h o r i t y s h a l l b y n ot i ce i n f or m t h e a p p l i ca n t o r t h e

permittee, as the case may be, of the following decisions in relation to a

permit or registrat ion certificat e:

(a) refusal of a grant of a permit or issue of a regis t rat ion

certificate under rule 12(3) or 13;(b) conditions at ta ched to a grant un der ru le 13;

(c) a varia tion u nder r ule 17(1)(a);

(d) refusal of an application for a va riation u nder ru le 17(1)(b);

(e) refusal of an application for a tra nsfer un der ru le 18;

(f) refusal of an application for a renewa l under ru le 19;

(g) a r evocation u nder rule 20;

(h) a su spension under ru le 21; or

(i) a r ejection of a claim un der r ule 26.

24. A decision of th e Authority men tioned in ru le 23 is subject t o

appeal t o the Commission.

25. (1) The Authority shall establish and ma intain a Water Polluters

Register

(a) consisting of any registrable facilities that are a source of

releases of a water pollutant and which shall be open to the

publ ic for insp ect ion a t t he Aut hori t ys pr incipal off ice

dur ing working hours; and

(b) which m ay be kept in a ny form.

(2) Subject to rule 26, the Water P olluters Register sha ll conta in

par ticular s of, or relating t o

(a) every sour ce a pplicat ion an d every ap plication for a permit;

(b) every registr ation certificate a nd p ermit;


Procedure for

the

revocation,

suspension

and variat ion

of perm it or

registration

certificate

and rejection

of claim

Notification

of decisions of

the Authority

Appeals t o

the

Commission

Water

Polluters

Register


19/22

(c) every refusal to grant a permit under rules 12(3) and 13

together with th e reasons for th e refusa l;

(d) every var iance under rule 17(1)(a);

(e) every refusal to vary the conditions of a permit under rule

17(1)(b) togeth er with r easons for r efusa l;

(f) every refusa l of a renewa l of a permit un der r ule 19;(g) every revocation un der r ule 20;

(h) every suspension u nder r ule 21;

(i) ministerial directives under section 5 of the Act;

(j) inspection reports pu rsu an t t o sections 22 and 23 of the Act;

(k) not ices of al l types including not ices of violat ion under

section 63 of the Act;

(l) adm inistrat ive orders un der sections 64 an d 65 of the Act;

(m ) adm inistrat ive civil assessmen ts un der section 66 of th e Act;

(n) applications for enforcement under section 67 of the Act;

(o) other ac t ions by the Author i ty under sec t ion 68 of theAct; an d

(p) complaints a gainst per mittees u nder section 69 of the Act.

(3) A n e x t r a c t f r om t h e W a t e r P o l lu t e r s R e g i s t e r s h a l l b e

supplied at the request of an y person on payment of th e prescribed fee.

26. (1) An a pplicant, u pon pa yment of the prescribed fee, may assert

a claim in accordance with the form as determined by the Authority,

that any of the information supplied to the Authority under rule 6, 10,

11, 12 or 16 is a trade secret or confidential business information and

th at it be omitted from th e Water Pollut ers Register.

(2) The Authority ma y reject t he claim for t he r eason

(a) tha t t he a pplican t h as n ot disclosed the ba sis for the claim;

(b) tha t t he ba sis ther eof is invalid; or

(c) tha t t he pu blic int erest in disclosing the informa tion clearly

outweighs a ny prejudice to th e applican t.

(3) The Authori ty shal l omit th e informa tion from the Water

Pollut ers Register where

(a) the Authority does not cont est t he claim; or

(b) the Authority rejects the claim under subrule (2) but the

claim is upheld on an appeal pur sua nt t o ru le 24.


Trade secrets

and

confidential

business

information


20/22


1. Tempera ture Maximum var iat ion of 3C from ambient

2. Hydrogen ion (pH) Less than 6 or grea ter than 9.

3 . Dissolved Oxygen Content (DO) 10

(BOD5 at 20 C)

5. Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) >60

6. Tota l Suspended Solids (TSS) >l5

7. Total Oil and Grease (TO&G) or >10

n-Hexane Extra ctable Material (HEM)

8 . Ammoniaca l Nit rogen (as NH3-N) >0.01

9 . Tot a l Phosphorus (as P) >0 .1

10. S ulp hide (a s H2S) >0.2

1 1. C hlor id e (a s Cl-) >250

12. Total Residual Chlor ine (as Cl2) 0. 2

13. Dissolved Hexavalent Chromium (Cr6+) >0.01

14. Tota l Chromium (Cr) >0.1

15. Dissolved Iron (Fe) >1.0

16. Tot al Pet roleu m Hydr oca rbon s (TP H) N IAA

17. Tota l Nickel (Ni) >0.5

18. Tota l Copper (Cu) >0.01

19. Tota l Zinc (Zn) >0.1

20. Tota l Arsenic (As) >0.01

21. Tota l Cadmium (Cd) >0.01

22. Tota l Mercury (Hg) >0.005

23. Tota l Lead (Pb) >0.05

2 4. T ot a l Cya n id e (a s CN-) >0.01

25. Phenolic Compounds (as phenol) >0.1

26. Radioact ivity NIAA

27. T oxicity NATE

28. Faeca l Coliforms >100

29. Solid Waste No solid debr is

FIRST SCHEDULE

(Rule 3)

REGISTER OF WATER POLLUTANTS

Quan tity, Condition or Concentr ation

at which substance or param eter is

defined as a pollutan t a

a all units are in milligram s per litre (mg/L) except for temper atu re (C), pH (pH units),

turbidity (NTU), faecal coliforms (counts per 100 ml), radioactivity (Bq/L) and toxicity

(toxic un its).NIAAno increase above ambien t

NATEno acute toxic effects

>greater tha n


21/22


1. Tempera ture 35 40 45 NIAA

2. Dissolved Oxygen


22/22

Made th is 22nd day of J un e, 2001.

A. NANAN

Minister of the Environment

Laid in the House of Representatives this 20th day of September,

2001.

J. SAMPSON-JACENT

Clerk of the House

Laid in the Sena te th is 26th day of September, 2001.

N. COX

Clerk of the Senate


Inland Coasta l Marine Environmenta lly

Su rfa ce N ea rsh or e Offs hor e Sen sit ive Ar ea s

Water and/or Groundwater

SECOND SCHEDULECONTINUED

(Rule 8)

P ERMISSIBLE LEVELS

Water Pollu tants Receiving Environment

Levels or Conditions

27. Toxicity NATE NATE NATE NATE

28. Faeca l Coliforms 400 400 400 100

29. Solid Waste NSD NSD NSD NSD

a all units are in milligram s per litre (mg/L) except for t empera tur e (C), pH (pH u nits),

faecal coliform s (coun ts per 100 ml), ra dioactivity (Bq/L) and t oxicity (toxic units)NIAAno increase above ambien t

NATEno acute toxic effects

NSDNo solid debris

Water Pollution Rules, 2001

Documents

Transcript of Water Pollution Rules, 2001