The Air Quality Standards Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010

1. Introductory Text

2. PART 1 General

   1. 1. Citation and commencement

   2. 2. Definitions and interpretation

   3. 3. Designation of competent authorities

   4. 4. Responsibility for implementation of the ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe Directive

   5. 5. Zones and agglomerations

3. PART 2 Assessment of ambient air quality

   1. CHAPTER 1 Sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and oxides of nitrogen, particulate matter, lead, benzene and carbon monoxide

      1. 6. Assessment thresholds

      2. 7. Assessment criteria

      3. 8. Location and number of sampling points

   2. CHAPTER 2 Ozone

      1. 9. Assessment criteria

      2. 10. Location and number of sampling points

   3. CHAPTER 3 Arsenic, cadmium, nickel, mercury, benzo(a)pyrene and other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

      1. 11. Assessment thresholds

      2. 12. Assessment criteria

      3. 13. Data quality objectives

      4. 14. Location and number of sampling points

      5. 15. Monitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

      6. 16. Background monitoring

      7. 17. Reference methods for sampling and analysis

4. PART 3 Duties of Northern Ireland departments in relation to limit values etc

   1. 18. Duty in relation to limit values

   2. 19. Duty in relation to target values

   3. 20. Date of application for limit values and target values

   4. 21. Duty in relation to long-term objectives for ozone

   5. 22. Duty in relation to information and alert thresholds

   6. 23. Duty in relation to critical levels for the protection of vegetation

5. PART 4 National Exposure Reduction for PM_2.5

   1. 24. Duty of Northern Ireland departments to limit exposure to PM_2.5

6. PART 5 Plans

   1. 25. Air quality plans

   2. 26. Short-term action plans

   3. 27. Public participation in drawing up air quality and short-term action plans

7. PART 6 Public information

   1. 28. Public information

   2. 29. Annual reports

8. PART 7 General

   1. 30. Revocations

9. Signature

10. 1. SCHEDULE 1

       Sampling points for measurement of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and oxides of nitrogen, particulate matter, lead, benzene and carbon monoxide in ambient air

       1. PART 1

          1. 1. General

          2. 2. Compliance with limit values directed at the protection of human...

          3. 3. Insofar as they are relevant, the principles set out in...

       2. PART 2 Macroscale siting of sampling points

          1. 1. Sampling points for the protection of human health

          2. 2. Sampling points shall in general be sited to avoid measuring...

          3. 3. Sampling points in urban background locations shall be located so...

          4. 4. Where the objective is to assess rural background levels, the...

          5. 5. Where contributions from industrial sources are to be assessed, at...

          6. 6. Sampling points shall also, where possible, be representative of similar...

          7. 7. Account shall be taken of the need to locate sampling...

          8. 8. Protection of ecosystems and vegetation

       3. PART 3

          1. 9. Microscale siting of sampling points

          2. 10. The following factors may also be taken into account—

          3. 11. Any deviation from the criteria listed in this Part shall...

       4. PART 4 Documentation and review of site selection

          1. 1. The Department shall, for all zones and agglomerations, fully document...

          2. 2. The documentation shall include compass-point photographs of the area surrounding...

          3. 3. Where supplementary methods are used within a zone or agglomeration,...

          4. 4. The documentation shall be updated as necessary and reviewed at...

    2. SCHEDULE 2

       Limit values

    3. SCHEDULE 3

       Target values

    4. SCHEDULE 4

       Long term objectives for ozone

    5. SCHEDULE 5

       Information and alert thresholds

    6. SCHEDULE 6

       Critical levels for the protection of vegetation

    7. SCHEDULE 7

       Information to be included in air quality plans

       1. 1. Localisation of excess pollution— (a) region; (b) city (map); and...

       2. 2. General information— (a) type of zone (city, industrial or rural...

       3. 3. Responsible authorities (names and addresses of persons responsible for the...

       4. 4. Nature and assessment of pollution— (a) concentrations observed over previous...

       5. 5. Origin of pollution— (a) list of the main emission sources...

       6. 6. Analysis of the situation— (a) details of those factors responsible...

       7. 7. Details of those measures or projects for improvements which existed...

       8. 8. Details of those measures or projects adopted with a view...

       9. 9. Details of the measures or projects planned or being researched...

       10. 10. List of the publications, documents and work etc. used to...

    8. SCHEDULE 8

       Public information in relation to alert and information thresholds for nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and ozone

       1. 1. In cases where the information threshold or the alert threshold...

       2. 2. In cases where either the information or alert thresholds are...

       3. 3. Information on any incident where information or alert thresholds are...

       4. 4. Forecast for the following afternoon, day or days—

       5. 5. Information on the type of population concerned, possible health effects...

       6. 6. Information provided under this Schedule shall also include—

11. Explanatory Note