The Offshore Petroleum Activities (Oil Pollution Prevention and Control) Regulations 2005

Interpretation

2.  In these Regulations—

“discharge”, in relation to oil, means its release from an offshore installation;

“emission” means the direct or indirect release of substances from individual or diffuse sources into the air or into relevant waters;

“existing exemption” means an exemption granted by the Secretary of State pursuant to section 23 of the Prevention of Oil Pollution Act 1971(1), being an exemption which is in force on the day before the day on which these Regulations come into force;

“offshore installation” has the same meaning as in section 44 of the Petroleum Act 1998(2);

“oil” means any liquid hydrocarbon or substitute liquid hydrocarbon, including dissolved or dispersed hydrocarbons or substitute hydrocarbons that are not normally found in the liquid phase at standard temperature and pressure, whether obtained from plants or animals, or mineral deposits or by synthesis;

“operator” means any person who operates an offshore installation;

“permit holder” means the holder from time to time of a permit granted under these Regulations;

“pollution” means the introduction by man, directly or indirectly, of substances or energy into relevant waters which results, or is likely to result, in hazards to human health, harm to living resources and marine ecosystems, damage to amenities or interference with other legitimate uses of the sea;

“relevant waters” has the same meaning as in section 44 of the Petroleum Act 1998(2) save that it—

(a)

does not include Scottish controlled waters; and

(b)

includes places below relevant waters;

“Scottish controlled waters” means any waters which are controlled waters within the meaning of section 30A(1) of the Control of Pollution Act 1974(3).

(1)

1971 c. 60.

(2)

1998 c. 17.

(3)

1974 c. 40; the provisions of section 30A(1) were inserted in the 1974 Act by section 169 of, and Schedule 23 to, the Water Act 1989 (c. 15).